Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Anthony Stolarz was released from hospital after taking a puck to the throat due to a high shot from William Nylander, who has a history of doing this in the past – and he needs to stop before something serious happens.
Stolarz took the shot and immediately skated off the ice in pain, and was taken to hospital for precautionary reasons, though was released and expected to join the team on the plane home.
However it was William Nylander who was the culprit of the high shot and explained it was just a matter of a shot getting away from him:
Obviously it’s, you know, really tough to see that happen. I mean, I always come in and shoot puck in the glove, and this one just came off a little bit to the left, and I hit him in the neck.
So, I mean, I was obviously worried for him, but, I mean, I’ve been texting with him, so he seems to be OK.
But for Nylander it’s not an isolated incident, and his propensity to shoot high glove side has been an issue for years.
From Sparks to Murray: The dangerous history of Nylander’s ‘friendly fire’
Back in 2019 during a team practice, Nylander took one of his patented high shots and it struck goaltender Garret Sparks in the head. He suffered a concussion and struggled mightily to shake that off and make his way back to the NHL level.
Then in 2023, goaltender Matt Murray left warmups after what the team called a ‘re-aggravation’ of an existing ankle injury, however it happened right after Nylander took a high shot; it was trying to place blame elsewhere than their star.
I guess we know why Craig Berube wants him to shoot more, as it’s clear his average speed of 58.28 MPH is underselling just how fast and deceptive his shot is. Actually coincidentally, he had a near 90 MPH shot vs. Ottawa on Saturday night so he’s playing with some extra pep it seems.
But this is now the third goaltender he’s injured somewhat seriously, with this one arguably the most dangerous considering it was at the throat. Something needs to change though, because this can’t keep happening flat out.
He’s taking Craig Berube’s words to heart which is great, but it’s putting their goaltenders in the ER, so any positive coming out of this is instantly washed away by his recklessness.
Why the Stolarz recovery window makes Tuesday Dennis Hildeby’s time to shine
Even if he’s released and feeling okay, there’s clearly something that’s cursed about Stolarz this year, and perhaps it’s best to shut him down the rest of the 11 games.
Let Dennis Hildeby come in and show exactly why the team invested the time and money into him. He’s been rock-solid this year despite a losing record and with only a handful of games left, it’s best to see what he can offer for next year.
There’s clearly going to be some significant bruising or discomfort for Stolarz. This wasn’t a little pebble that caught him awkwardly – this was a frozen rubber puck at 50-60 MPH. It’s akin to someone taking a disc of concrete and hucking it at your neck.
While there’s a couple days in between games, you’re asking Joseph Woll to start his third in a row. He should be rested enough but he also has injury concerns so pushing him again could lead to another issue.
Craig Berube’s comments after the Ottawa game tell you exactly why they need Hildeby:
I don’t understand the thought process of not following up and not being ready to go in the second, knowing they’re going to push. We didn’t respond well enough.
I don’t understand this ‘deflated’ stuff, to be honest with you. It is a cop-out.
Well, when you lose another star to injury thanks to his own teammate and a week and a half after losing your captain; you feel a bit disheartened. So seeing people drop like flies, in a losing season, with a fanbase who is getting more and more angry by the day – yes, it’s deflating.
But with Berube also throwing Woll under the bus after the Carolina loss, it seems like they need some type of monstrous entity to come in and take charge and make sure that if no one else responds; he will.
Luckily for Toronto they have a ‘Hildebeast’ waiting in the wings to be unleashed on the rest of the NHL.
Previously on Hockey Patrol
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9 HOURS AGO|219 ANSWERS
A disaster avoided: Anthony Stolarz avoids serious injury as Nylander’s ‘Sniper’s Tax’ history repeats itself
Should Dennis Hildeby be the starter for the Maple Leafs for the next 11 games?