With a handful of games left before the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Toronto Maple Leafs received some great news on goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has admitted to taking a cautious approach on the eventual return of goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Despite that, it looks as though the Leafs’ number one goalie from earlier in the 2024-25 regular season is very close to getting between the pipes again.
Anthony Stolarz took part in a full practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs today for the first time since Dec. 12, close to a month and a half ago.
Stolarz was listed in the backup netminder’s position on the official practice sheet, but that’s a big step with just five games left to play before the regular season pauses for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Joseph Woll has started the bulk of games in Stolarz’s absence, and was relied upon heavily, although his teammates did chirp him over his bubble wrap type treatment from the team, with the 26-year-old netminder receiving some additional days off to preserve his health.
Woll has posted some very nice stats over the course of those games, but having two reliable goaltenders down the stretch is huge for Berube and his coaching staff.
Toronto’s next game comes against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. Wild star Kirill Kaprizov may miss the game and appears to be headed towards surgery to repair a lower-body injury he’s been dealing with all year.
