Anthony Stolarz didn’t hold back after the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4–3 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, calling out his teammates for what he described as a lack of effort and urgency in front of him.
The 31-year-old goaltender said the team’s inconsistency and soft play are costing them points early in the season.
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“It was a good third period, but the first two periods we kind of let them walk all over us,” Stolarz said. “They outworked us in front of the net. They blocked shots. They beat us up and down the ice. The score is indicative of that. They just outworked us, plain and simple.”
Frustration boiled over when Kraken forward Mason Marchment crashed into him late in the second period. There was little reaction from Toronto’s skaters, prompting Stolarz to defend himself.
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“I’m not happy. Guys are gonna run me and I’m gonna try to stand up for myself,” Stolarz said. “It’s not fun. I don’t like having 225-pound guys laying on me. Hopefully, we learned a lesson here.”
Stolarz also challenged the Leafs to show the same crease pressure their opponents displayed.
“Maybe we can take a page out of their book and start getting to the net,” Stolarz said. “For us, we like to go low to high and shoot. But for their goalie, it’s like playing catch in the yard. He’s seeing everything. We’re not making it difficult.”
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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz defends the net.Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The overtime winner added to his anger, with William Nylander losing his check as Josh Mahura skated past for a breakaway goal. Stolarz didn’t name names, but his comments were clearly pointed toward Nylander.
“Overtime — you can’t let someone beat you up the ice there,” Stolarz said. “A minute left, you want to be on the ice in that situation, you gotta work hard. It cost us a point there.”
Now 3–2–1, Toronto sits just behind the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division standings, but Stolarz made it clear the record means little without effort.
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“How many points are we going to leave out there?” Stolarz said. “We have the skill, we have the grit, we have the grind. It’s just frustrating that we can’t put it together right now. Enough’s enough.”
Toronto is back in action at home at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.
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Related: Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz Reveals J.T. Miller’s Message After No-Helmet Shot
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.