Leafs’ Stolarz Pulled After Allowing Four Goals on 19 Shots Against Bruins
Anthony Stolarz had a difficult outing on Saturday for the Toronto Maple Leafs, being pulled midway through the second period after conceding four goals on 19 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins.
This marked the first time Stolarz was removed from a game for performance reasons during his time with the Maple Leafs.
“It’s obviously not up to par,” Stolarz said after the game. “It seems like every night I’m giving up one or two you want back, but that’s the life of a goalie. You have to move on and focus on the next one.”
Reflecting on the start of the game, Stolarz admitted he struggled early on.
“First and foremost, I’ve got to lock in and make that first save,” he said. “Giving up the first two shots is not how you want to start.”
Rookie Dennis Hildeby entered in relief for his season debut and performed well, stopping 19 of 20 shots over the remaining 32 minutes.
“He was awesome,” Stolarz said of Hildeby. “I put him in a tough spot, and he handled it like a real pro.”
Stolarz has yet to regain the strong form he displayed last season when he posted a 2.14 goals-against average and a league-leading .926 save percentage over 34 games.
Author’s Summary
Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz struggled against Boston, leading to his first performance-based pull, while rookie Dennis Hildeby impressed in relief duty.