TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz exited midway through the second period of Game 1 of his team’s second-round series matchup against the Florida Panthers on Monday after taking an elbow to the head from forward Sam Bennett.
There was no penalty called on the play. Stolarz was replaced by backup Joseph Woll. He had made eight saves on nine shots prior to exiting the game while Toronto raced out to a 4-1 lead over its Atlantic Division rival.
On the game broadcast, during the third period, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that a source said Stolarz had vomited on the bench before exiting for the locker room. The team made the official announcement that he wouldn’t return during the second intermission.
Stolarz started all six playoff games for Toronto against the Ottawa Senators in their first-round series victory, recording a 4-2 record with a .902 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average.
The 31-year-old veteran, who was the Panthers’ backup last season for Sergei Bobrovsky on their run to a Stanley Cup victory, was the Maple Leafs’ backbone in net throughout the regular season. He missed time following a mid-season knee surgery but was an impressive 21-8-3 with .926 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average.
Woll took over starting duties when Stolarz was out during the regular season. He posted a 27-14-1 record with a.909 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average.
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