The Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Monday before travelling to Boston.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
What did Anthony Stolarz<\/a> feel when an errant William Nylander<\/a> shot struck him in the neck during warm-up on Saturday night?<\/p>\n \u201cJust kind of shock,\u201d the Leafs goalie said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that happens. It\u2019s an occupational hazard. You get pucks coming at you anywhere from 70 to 100 miles per hour, they\u2019re going to catch you in a bad spot once in a while. So, just kind of shock. I kind of seized up. It was a little difficult to breathe and talk, but after about 30, 40 minutes it all started coming back to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz was sent to the hospital by medical staff as a precaution.<\/p>\n \u201cJust did a quick scan to make sure there was no damaged blood vessels or anything,\u201d he said. \u201cI did that and everything checked out so I was able to travel back with the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz dealt with some swelling but, all things considered, it could\u2019ve been worse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt got me right between the seam where the neck and collarbone [meet], there\u2019s a little area and it just kind of caught me,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just fortunate it wasn\u2019t puck on skin, because that would\u2019ve been definitely a lot worse.\u201d<\/p>\n The Leafs called up goalie Dennis Hildeby<\/a> from the American Hockey League on an emergency basis, but Stolarz felt well enough to take part in Monday\u2019s practice. <\/p>\n Did he feel any lingering effects from Nylander\u2019s shot? <\/p>\n \u201cI got to wear that dangler now just for a little more protection,\u201d he said of the plastic neck guard, which hung off his mask. \u201cIt\u2019s just a little precautionary thing. It is a little annoying to wear that as a goalie. You just hear that plastic clanging around against your mask, so I guess that\u2019s probably the only lingering effect.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz initially shed the dangler when he made the jump to junior hockey. <\/p>\n \u201cMy parents were always big on that and then once you turn 18 and start playing juniors it\u2019s not the best style,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cYou always try and get away from it but, for the time being, it\u2019s good to wear. Good for the protection. I have one of those neck pieces that goes around your neck and into your collarbone, and I was fortunate that I was wearing that.\u201d<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Following practice, Craig Berube<\/a> said he had not decided who will start for the Leafs on Tuesday in Boston. <\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s good that he\u2019s okay,\u201d the coach noted of Stolarz. <\/p>\n Stolarz is looking to get another shot at the Bruins after two ill-fated appearances against them early in the season. Stolarz allowed four goals on 19 shots before being pulled on Nov. 8. In the rematch on Nov. 11 at TD Garden, Stolarz allowed three goals on 11 shots before exiting with a mystery injury later revealed to be a nerve issue, which kept him sidelined until Jan. 23. <\/p>\n Stolarz, who has played just once in the last 16 days, is understandably eager to get back in. Has the lack of playing time lately bothered him?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m competitive but, at this juncture, you just kind of roll with the punches,\u201d the 32-year-old said. \u201cI\u2019ve been a back-up, I\u2019ve been a starter in this league, so my mindset every day is the same. Just come in, compete, work hard, push my goalie partner and push the guys who are shooting on you every day. I don\u2019t make those decisions, but I feel good where I\u2019m at. I was supposed to play the other night and it was unfortunate, but my last couple starts here I feel good. For me it\u2019s about that consistency and finishing the year strong here.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz appears to be trending in the right direction. He is 1-2-2 with a .922 save percentage since returning from the Olympic break. <\/p>\n ‘A little difficult to breathe’: Leafs’ Stolarz returns to practice after taking shot off throat Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was back on the ice Monday after being taken to hospital on Saturday when he was hit in the throat during warmups. Stolarz was sporting a neck guard and spoke about his desire to get back in action. <\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n Nylander was apologetic after Saturday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n \u201cI try to shoot, like, for the glove,\u201d he told reporters in Ottawa. \u201cI\u2019m always doing the same shot so, I mean, it just came off a little off on that shot. I feel really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz told his teammate not to worry.<\/p>\n \u201cI told him, \u2018It happens,\u2019\u201d Stolarz said. \u201cIt\u2019s been 160 games I\u2019ve had with Willy through the last two years and watching him every game he always goes to the same spot and he always goes to that glove area and this one was just a riser. It\u2019s something that happens, puck bounces, pucks continue to fly up, so he\u2019s good. It\u2019s a one-off. I\u2019m sure it will happen again whether it\u2019s him or someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n The team is already joking about what happened with injured captain Auston Matthews<\/a> chiming in.<\/p>\n \u201cTone said, \u2018Next time just keep your chin tucked,\u2019\u201d Stolarz said with a smile. \u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Berube recalled catching his goalies up high during his playing days. <\/p>\n \u201cGot chased down a couple of times,\u201d Berube said with a chuckle. \u201c[Ron] Hextall didn\u2019t like it too much and [Olaf] Kolzig, they were guys that got a little pissed off.\u201d<\/p>\n Did Hextall ever catch him?<\/p>\n \u201cOh, buddy,\u201d Berube said with a grin. \u201cHe didn\u2019t want to catch me.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz has no problem with Nylander’s high warm-up shot; reveals advice from Matthews It was William Nylander’s warm-up shot that took out Anthony Stolarz prior to Saturday’s game but the Leafs netminder is not blaming his forward for the unfortunate shot. Nylander spoke about what happened on Saturday while Stolarz called it ‘an occupational hazard of being a goalie.’ <\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n Joseph Woll<\/a> also experienced an injury scare on Saturday night as he took a few shots off the head. <\/p>\n \u201cMy poor mask was taking a beating,\u201d he told reporters with a smile after the game. \u201cIt broke, we fixed it, and it broke again \u2026 [Gotta] check my brain after that game. That\u2019s the most I\u2019ve got hit in my head, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Those types of shots aren\u2019t always a bad thing, apparently. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d the 27-year-old stressed. \u201cSometimes it wakes you up and jolts you back in, so it can be a good thing too.\u201d<\/p>\n Woll has started six of Toronto\u2019s last seven games and faced the most shots in the NHL (219) since the run began on March 10. Boston\u2019s Jeremy Swayman<\/a> has faced the second most shots (171) during that time span.<\/p>\n \u201cI just stick to my routine as best as I can and let everything else fall into place,\u201d Woll said of managing the workload.<\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n The Leafs are holding their annual Mentors Trip this week with each player allowed to invite a guest to Boston.<\/p>\n \u201cIt could bring a little bit of juice and energy and a little bit of excitement into the locker room,\u201d said winger Matthew Knies<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt always adds a little extra juice,\u201d Berube said.<\/p>\n Stolarz is bringing his big brother Todd, 43, who was also his guest last year.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s probably been the biggest influence to me in my career,\u201d the New Jersey native said. \u201cJust driving me to the rink when I was younger when my parents had work. He was my goalie coach in PeeWee and Bantam. He\u2019s always watching my games and giving me little tidbits here and there.\u201d<\/p>\n Woll also brought his brother to Boston. <\/p>\n ‘It could bring juice’: Playing out the stretch, Leafs hope mentors trip creates a spark The Maple Leafs will be headed to Boston for Tuesday’s game and the players will be bringing some special guests on the trip. Individual mentors will tag along and it will offer a unique opportunity for the players to allow those close to them a chance to experience the NHL life. <\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n The Leafs have won just five times in the last 23 games so the chance to bring some friendly faces on the road is a welcome boost <\/p>\n The Leafs current five wins in 23 games stretch is about as bad as it gets. They had only done this four times in the last 30 years: <\/p>\n Start of 2009-10 season \u2014 James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Brandon Carlo<\/a> is bringing his grandpa Ed Ristau.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was in the Air Force for a while and then afterwards, when he retired, settled down in Colorado Springs and that\u2019s where I\u2019m from,\u201d the defenceman said. \u201cHe flew the tow planes in Colorado Springs for about 30 years with all the cadets at the Air Force Academy. He would pull them up and he would be in the tow plane and they would be in the glider, because gliders don\u2019t have an engine so he would have to pull them up and release them up there. He loved doing that job.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlo says he learned a lot about character from his grandfather.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very proud to be his grandson,\u201d the 29-year-old beamed.<\/p>\n Carlo\u2019s faced some criticism in Toronto recently, along with teammates, for not jumping in to defend Matthews after Ducks defenceman Radko Gudas<\/a> injured the star centre with a knee-on-knee hit on March 12.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happened fast,\u201d said Carlo, who is the tallest (6-foot-5, equal with Philippe Myers<\/a>) and heaviest defenceman (227 pounds) on the team. \u201cObviously, wish we would\u2019ve been able to react differently.\u201d <\/p>\n Monday marked Carlo\u2019s first media scrum since the game against Anaheim. <\/p>\n \u201cOnce we saw it afterwards [it\u2019s] tough,\u201d he said. \u201cBut [the] onus is on us. I take accountability for that. I want to be there for my teammates. That was a mistake for sure but, overall, it did happen fast. But I\u2019m not going sit here and discredit that we needed to do something there.\u201d<\/p>\n The Matthews injury is not the only reason Carlo has been in the spotlight lately. There\u2019s also the pending situation with Toronto\u2019s first-round pick in the upcoming draft. <\/p>\n At the trade deadline last year, the Leafs sent top prospect Fraser Minten<\/a> and their first-round pick in the 2026 draft (top-five protected) to the Bruins in exchange for Carlo, who is under contract through next season. With the Leafs potentially now sending a high pick to their division rivals, the trade is a big talking point in Toronto.<\/p>\n Is that tough?<\/p>\n \u201cA little bit,\u201d Carlo readily admits. \u201cTry not to pay attention to it too much … If you\u2019re in the NHL environment there\u2019s going to be a lot of things you need to tune out throughout your career so just put it in that category with most of those things and just continue forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The Leafs sit 25th overall heading into Tuesday\u2019s game in Boston. <\/p>\n Hot or Not: Leafs will finish bottom 5 and keep their first-round pick Will the Maple Leafs finish in the bottom 5 and get to keep their 2026 first-round pick? Will Alex Ovechkin continue playing and reach 1,000 career regular season goals? Will Nikita Kucherov capture his second Hart Trophy this year? TSN Hockey analyst Martin Biron shares his answers in Montana’s Hot or Not. <\/p>\n Minten is currently skating on Boston\u2019s top line beside David Pastrnak<\/a>. He has scored 15 goals on the season while Carlo, who dealt with a nagging foot injury that required surgery this year, is still searching for his first goal with the Leafs. He hasn\u2019t scored in the NHL since Oct. 14, 2014. <\/p>\n Despite being a defensive-minded defenceman, Carlo acknowledges that \u201cfor sure\u201d the 127-game drought weighs on him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily the thing that I\u2019m on the ice for but, overall, I\u2019d like to contribute in that regard,\u201d he said. \u201cJust keep shooting. Shooting more could help.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlo has seven assists in 48 games this season. He owns the second best plus-minus mark (plus-nine) on the team. <\/p>\n Carlo admits it’s a little bit tough to tune out talk about trade and Leafs first-round pick status Brandon Carlo will be playing his second game in Boston since being traded to the Maple Leafs and it has been hard for him to escape all the talk about the status of the Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick. The defenceman spoke about how he has tuned out the excess noise and what the Boston-Toronto rivalry means having experienced it from both sides. <\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n Easton Cowan<\/a> identified Ottawa\u2019s opening goal, which came on a first-period power play, as the turning point in Saturday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started off pretty strong,\u201d the rookie winger told reporters in Ottawa. \u201cThey scored and I feel like it deflated us a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Berube bristled when that comment was relayed to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why they would be \u2018deflated\u2019 after we gave up a power-play goal,\u201d Berube told reporters. \u201cWe broke a stick, we\u2019re trying to get a stick, and they scored a goal, but big deal. We played a good first period.\u201d<\/p>\n The Senators outshot the Leafs 9-6 in the first period, but then tilted the shot clock 35-8 over the final 40 minutes. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand the thought process that you don\u2019t follow it up and be ready to go in the second and know they\u2019re going to push,\u201d Berube said. \u201cWe don\u2019t respond well enough. I don\u2019t understand this \u2018deflated\u2019 stuff, to be honest with you. I think it\u2019s a cop out.\u201d<\/p>\n After Monday\u2019s workout, only the team\u2019s second full practice since games resumed following the Olympics, Berube appealed to his players\u2019 sense of pride.<\/p>\n \u201cThe X\u2019s and O\u2019s are the X\u2019s and O\u2019s, but it\u2019s about showing up every night and competing at a high level,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s important for me. Yes, there\u2019s mistakes and things that happen in the game, but where\u2019s your compete level? Where are you playing for the crest on the front of the jersey? That\u2019s what matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Leafs Ice Chips: Berube urges players to compete at high level for the crest The Maple Leafs came away with a loss in the Battle of Ontario over the weekend and after Monday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube explained how he will be communicating with players down the final stretch of the season. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on Berube’s message and Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaving practice early. <\/p>\n \u2014-<\/p>\n
2011-12 “18 wheeler off cliff”
End of 2014-15 (Horachek)
End of 2015-16 tank year<\/p>\n