The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4 Monday in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, but lost starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz to injury during the game. Stolarz was transported to the hospital for evaluation following a collision with Florida forward Sam Bennett.
The play occurred in the second period when Bennett appeared to elbow Stolarz in the head while the goaltender was attempting to cover the puck. No penalty was called on the ice, a decision questioned by Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after the game.
Stolarz remained in the game for a short time after the collision but later left the bench and did not return. Reports indicated he vomited before leaving the ice. Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz in net midway through the second period.
Berube stated he believed the hit was a clear elbow to the head. The NHL Department of Player Safety is reportedly reviewing the incident.
Before the injury, Stolarz had stopped eight of nine shots. Woll entered the game and allowed three goals on 20 shots as Florida mounted a comeback attempt in the third period after Toronto had built a large lead.
William Nylander scored two goals and added an assist in the first period for Toronto. Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev also scored for the Maple Leafs. Morgan Rielly scored his 14th career playoff goal, setting a franchise record for defensemen.
Goals for the Panthers came from Seth Jones, Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis, and Sam Bennett. Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves in the Florida net. Florida captain Aleksander Barkov acknowledged his team did not have a strong start to the game.
The win gives the Toronto Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. For more coverage of the series, Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto.
