The Goalie Vs. The Stat Sheet
Despite what the stat line might suggest, Anthony Stolarz has been the Maple Leafs’ best player this season. Unfortunately for him, his numbers are being inflated by the team’s chronic defensive lapses, lazy backchecking, and an inability to transition the puck out of their own zone. On most nights, the box score is simply not a fair representation of how well Stolarz has played.
A Pattern of Abuse
Worst of all, the Maple Leafs seem to have learned nothing from last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, which saw Stolarz knocked out by a hit to the head from Sam Bennett. This season, the abuse has continued. Stolarz has been the victim of at least one hard, unnecessary hit from an opposing player in every single game.
Last night’s game against the Kraken was no different. After taking a hard shot from Mason Marchment, the goaltender completely lost his temper.
Stolarz Sounds Off After Overtime Loss
The Leafs went on to lose to the Kraken in overtime. Despite the “moral victory” of erasing three separate deficits, it wasn’t enough for Stolarz, who let the team have it in his post-game interview.
“I mean, I’m not happy… I’m going to try and stand up for myself…
Maybe we can take a page out of their book and start getting to the net. I mean, for us, we like to go low to high and shoot, but for their goalie, it’s like playing catch in the yard. You’re seeing everything, and we’re not making it difficult…
Enough’s enough, and we’ve kind of got to start picking it up here.”
🚨🎙️ Anthony Stolarz flat-out saying what he was feeling tonight, seeming very frustrated with how the Leafs defended the front of the net, getting hit, the team’s intensity, and the overall performance:
“I mean, I’m not happy… I’m going to try and stand up for myself…
Maybe… pic.twitter.com/zatR0Ga5NI
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) October 19, 2025
A Warning Sign for the Leafs
For a goaltender who is famously calm, cool, and collected, this outburst is a stark difference. Stolarz is usually the first to take the blame, deflecting criticism away from his teammates. His decision to publicly call them out this early in the season is a major red flag and a reminder of just how high the stakes are.
With goaltender Joseph Woll away from the team for the foreseeable future due to personal reasons, losing Stolarz for any period would be nearly insurmountable.
No Accountability, No Protection
As a fan, one of the most difficult things to watch last night was an opposing player standing over Stolarz after he had just been run over. With zero response from his teammates, Stolarz was forced to stand up, flip his own net over, and attend to the matter himself.
For a team that should be desperate to keep its star goaltender safe, this has been a recurring issue for years. The lack of accountability and willingness to protect their teammates is, at times, difficult to watch.
A Critical Crossroads Only Six Games In
For a team like the Leafs, who are without their first-round pick, making the postseason is imperative. If they are unable to learn from the lessons of the past, the organization is ultimately better off tearing everything down to the studs and starting from scratch.
When it only takes six games for the team’s MVP to publicly see trouble, that should be a massive warning sign for all of Leafs Nation.