TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said he suffered a concussion after being hit in the head by Florida Panthers centre Sam Bennett in Game 1 of the second round of the NHL playoffs.
“I don’t think any malicious intent on (Bennett’s) part,” Stolarz said during the Leafs players’ final news conference of the season on Tuesday morning. “I think it was just one of those things: it’s the playoffs and he’s in the moment and he wants to score a goal for his team and I’m doing my best to you know try to keep the puck out of my net. It was just one those things where he just caught me in a bad spot.”
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Stolarz remained in the net for about two minutes of action after taking the elbow from Bennett, but he vomited near the Leafs bench during a TV timeout and subsequently left the game. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation before being sent home. He did not appear in the Leafs’ net through the rest of the series, but did return as the backup in Game 7.
“It was just an unfortunate incident,” Stolarz said. “(Bennett) caught me in a bad spot and I just had to go through the steps to get healthy.”
Stolarz also took a slap shot to his face mask earlier in Game 1, but he said he did not believe that contributed to his injury.
“I don’t think so. I’ve taken a lot of pucks off my helmet in my career, and I felt fine,” Stolarz said. “The way I felt after that, it was probably another 45 minutes and I didn’t feel anything. But after (Bennett’s elbow) is when I started to feel symptoms.”
Stolarz spoke with Bennett after the incident.
“I just told him it’s one of those things. It’s a very fast game and s—’s going to happen,” Stolarz said.
In the days after sustaining the concussion, Stolarz did not practice or travel with the team. He did skate with Leafs staff.
Stolarz was a surprise addition to the Leafs’ lineup in Game 7. Actions at the morning skate suggested Matt Murray would back up Joseph Woll, but Stolarz took warmups and spent the game on the bench.
The 31-year-old made 34 regular-season appearances — the most of his career — and led the NHL with a .926 save percentage. His size, aggressive demeanour and shot-tracking ability established him as a bonafide NHL tandem goalie for the first time. He played all six games in the Maple Leafs’ first-round victory over the Ottawa Senators.
Stolarz’s stellar play was a somewhat surprising bright spot this season after he inked a two-year, $5-million deal in the offseason. He was one of the team’s most valuable players, helping lead the Leafs to a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division.
(Photo: John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)
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