Doubt Looms Over Stolarz's Return for Game 6 Against Panthers
As we head into the pivotal Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, one major question continues to swirl around the team—will goaltender Anthony Stolarz be back in the crease? If you're hoping for a dramatic return, don't hold your breath. Leafs head coach Craig Berube was pretty direct when asked about the possibility of Stolarz traveling with the team to Florida. “I doubt it,” he said, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for fans banking on his return.
Now, to be clear, Stolarz is making progress. He’s been on the ice, participating in light workouts and even joined the “black aces”—a term used for players outside the main lineup but who continue training during the playoffs. That’s a good sign, sure, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Stolarz hasn’t played since Game 1 of this second-round series, when things took a worrying turn. After taking a shot to the mask and a forearm to the head from Sam Bennett, he vomited on the bench mid-game and had to be taken to the hospital. Thankfully, he recovered quickly and was back with the team the next day, but a return to full competition shape is a different story.
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Since then, the Leafs have turned to Joseph Woll. His performance has been a bit of a rollercoaster—solid at times but shaky overall. His .877 save percentage and 3.51 GAA in the series aren’t exactly elite playoff numbers. Game 5, in particular, was rough. Woll allowed five goals on 20 shots before being pulled in favor of Matt Murray, who didn’t fare much better in a crushing 6-1 loss.
So here we are. The Leafs are down 3-2 in the series, on the brink of elimination, and their top goalie likely isn’t making the trip. That’s a tough position to be in—especially when your backup has lost three straight and just got yanked in the last game.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Toronto is in a bind. While Stolarz is clearly getting closer to a return, it’s not going to be in time for Game 6. Unless something unexpected happens overnight, this is Woll’s net again. The question is, can he bounce back under pressure? And if not, will Berube gamble with Matt Murray?
Stolarz’s story is one to watch, but for now, the Leafs need to dig deep with what they’ve got. Game 6 could be their last chance.
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