The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing some uncertainty in the crease after an injury to goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who was forced to leave Game 1 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers following a controversial elbow from Panthers forward Sam Bennett. The hit, during a Florida power play early in the second period, led to Stolarz ultimately exiting the game later in the frame. 

The incident occured when Bennett's elbow made contact with Stolarz’s head, sending the 31-year-old goaltender to the ice. Despite the impact to the head, as seen on the replay, no penalty was called against Bennett or the Panthers. 

“Elbow to the head. Yeah. Clear. Clear. Clear as day,” said Leafs head coach Craig Berube post-game. “I think we handled it the way we should handle it. I'm not sure why there's not a call on it. But, I get it. They missed calls. But it's clearly a penalty,” he added.

Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz Leaves Game 1 After Taking Elbow From Panthers’ Sam Bennett The Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltending situation took an unexpected turn in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers, as Anthony Stolarz was forced to leave the game midway through the second period after appearing to take an elbow to the head from Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

During the second intermission, the Sportsnet broadcast captured Stolarz bent over on the bench, head in a bucket, seemingly vomiting. Shortly thereafter, he was pulled from the game, and the Leafs would finish the contest without their starting goaltender, securing a 5-4 win behind the play of Joseph Woll.

While Berube expressed his displeasure with the no-call, the situation has since turned to the question of whether Bennett will face any form of discipline for the hit. The bench boss knows that any decision on supplementary discipline falls within the hands of the NHL and its Department of Player Safety, believing they’ll “do their job,” recognizing that the league will conduct its own review.

“Well, they do their job. They'll look at everything and decide what's necessary. I know it's an elbow,” Berube said. 

When asked if he believed the play is worth supplementary discipline, Berube responded by saying, “Again, that's not up to me. That's up to the league. So, they'll do what they think is necessary on that play. That's not for me to comment on. That's their job and they'll do it,” he added.

In the aftermath, multiple reports emerged that Stolarz was taken to the hospital for further testing, leaving Scotiabank Arena via stretcher.

“Right now he's just being evaluated,” Berube explained to the media. 

Report: Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz Being Evaluated In Hospital After Leaving Game 1 Vs. Panthers The bad news regarding Anthony Stolarz continues.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was also questioned about the incident in his post-game presser, taking a different approach to his response. While he acknowledged the severity of the situation and the potential injury to the netminder, Maurice chose to focus more on the referee’s perspective rather than the actions of his player.

“Not nearly as good as the referee's vantage point. Standing right there, he saw it. We’re hopeful for Anthony and his health, we love that guy,” said Maurice, who coached Stolarz last season. “I hope he gets better real fast.”

He also reiterated his position when asked again specifically about the outcome of the play.

“The referee is standing right there when it happened. You will do your thing. The league will do its thing. And I will coach the next game. Hopefully,” he said.

With the Leafs set to partake in an optional skate on Tuesday morning, more clarity on Stolarz’s status should become available. In the same light, more transparency regarding potential supplementary discipline to Bennett should also become clearer in the coming day.

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