If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to find any success this season, it will fall on the shoulders of goaltender Anthony Stolarz as he will be crucial to their success. Needless to say, they need to help him defensively, but they also need to start defending him when necessary.
Early in this season, Stolarz is already facing a number of instances where opponents often crash into the crease and start making contact with him. None was more egregious than in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken, where forward Mason Marchment bumped into him late in the second period. Stolarz had had enough, pushed the net away and chased after him, showing his frustration and displeasure. But where did his teammates come to defend him?
While Stolarz did what he had to do to protect himself, like he was not happy with how players benefit from their play in front of the net. Even head coach Craig Berube said it wasn’t “good enough” as for the response. The team in front of him needs to show that they have his back and it shouldn’t be up to Stolarz to defend himself every time.
The team should have learned lessons from the Bennett incident
While it’s commendable to see Stolarz show his anger over the bumps and collisions this season, it doesn’t always have to be him delivering the message. He’s already done that by punching Ridly Greig in the face against the Ottawa Senators after running into him in Game 1. In similar cases, Marchment’s collision could have led to another serious injury for Stolarz. It should have served as a reminder of the Sam Bennett incident during the postseason against the Florida Panthers, of what not to do when your goalie gets hit.
When Bennet went through the crease and used his forearm hit Stolarz on the headhe immediately went to the ice. There was no penalty on the line that should have immediately struck a chord with the team. However, the reaction from the players on the ice, including Brandon Carlo, Scott Laughton and Simon Benoit, remained silent. Although it was a quick action, the response was minimal. They should have put two and two together and gone after Bennett to stand up for their goalkeeper.
The reaction was once again extremely disappointing against the Kraken. While Stolarz jumped in and cheered Marchment on, the reaction from his teammates was once again muted until after Stolarz jumped in. The players should be the first to come to his aid. He is your goalkeeper and you will do everything you can to protect him at all costs. Whether it’s a minor bump or a major collision, the Maple Leafs need to show as much frustration with the act as Stolarz does.
Related: John Tavares records his 500th point with the Maple Leafs
There shouldn’t be any need for the goalkeeper to send a message after he’s just been run over. Someone, anyone, should have known immediately and done what Stolarz did. I understand that you don’t want to take a penalty, but in that case the goalkeeper is important. The Bennet incident alone should have been a stark reminder that the Maple Leafs should have learned their lesson and that it is their job to defend him and get after them if there is even the slightest contact with their goaltender. Don’t play the waiting game.
Teams keep getting away with crashing the net
To say the Maple Leafs need to do a better job protecting Stolarz and getting behind him is an understatement. The way Carlo and even Jake McCabe, who are physically imposing defenders themselves, just walked around and did nothing until Stolarz did is really disappointing. It also doesn’t help that a goal was allowed after Carlo pushed Jaden Schwartz into him earlier.
We’ve seen these two defenders score big goals and keep players on their feet before, but in that moment they let their goalkeeper down. On any other team, including the Panthers, when someone touches their goalie, there’s someone standing up for them, whether it’s a little nudge or, depending on the severity, more of a message. If this team wants to go far, they have to stand up for each other, especially their goaltender.
This isn’t just something that has emerged recently. It has been an ongoing issue in the past with other players getting injured in dangerous cases and the response has been extremely uninspiring and unacceptable. That needs to change immediately and hopefully this instance with Stolarz is the necessary change as they need to be conscious and instinctive to protect each other.
Teams have taken into account that they can get away with this and that cannot happen. Stolarz has already suffered a concussion and will miss the rest of the postseason. What’s next? Another one maybe? A leg injury? It is up to the players in front of him to prevent that and that must start immediately. They need to start making his job easier where he doesn’t have to constantly deal with bumps or hard drives on the net every night, and deliver the necessary message when it is needed.
Related: Will a Nicholas Robertson trade finally happen for the Maple Leafs?
That meeting with Stolarz should have been the last straw. They need to protect him more and they owe it to him because they can’t afford to lose him again for an extended period of time.
If he can show that anger, so can anyone else, because they must follow his example.
#Maple #Leafs #Stolarzs #Hockey #Writers #Toronto #Maple #Leafs #Latest #news #analysis