With Anthony Stolarz out of hospital and back with his teammates for important meetings to prepare for Game 2, the Maple Leafs tried to put on a business-as-usual face after learning the league wouldn’t impose supplemental discipline on Florida forward Sam Bennett.
pc28netminder leaves game after an elbow to the head from Florida’s Sam Bennett that wasn’t called.
“We can’t control that,” said veteran centre Max Pacioretty. “We can only worry about what we can control as individuals and as a team. And we always want to stick up for one another and stick together And do it the right way.”
Bennett is Public Enemy No. 1 in pc28for his elbow to Stolarz’s head that is believed to be the reason the Leafs’ top goalie left Game 1 — a 5-4 Leaf win — midway through the second period.
After two strong periods, pc28hung on in a hotly-contested third to take an early lead in their series against Florida.
“He’s doing well,” said coach Craig Berube. He added “we’ll see” when asked if Stolarz or Joseph Woll would play Game 2.
As for the league’s decision not to fine or suspend Bennett, Berube seemed zen with it.
“We have moved on from there,” said Berube. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over.”
Over in Florida’s hotel, Bennett met reporters.
“There’s no intent,” Bennett said. “Stolie is a great friend of mine, but when I hear that he went to the hospital of course I feel bad. ... I reached out to him. He responded. Never want to see an injury like that. From my point of view, I’m just taking the puck the net. I didn’t even know that we made contact until after.”
In a media availability, Sam Bennett reacts to questions about how pc28netminder Anthony Stolarz left the game after an elbow to the head from Bennett that wasn’t called.
Credit: NHL/Florida Panthers
No Leaf came to Stolarz’s aid after the initial hit. Retribution has long been part of the game.
“When I played, somebody would have done something right away,” said Berube, a hard-nosed winger who earned more than 3,000 penalty minutes. “It probably would have been me.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Berube, however, has been preaching that he wants the team to play hard, but clean and do nothing after the play has stopped.
“I’ve talked to my players about focusing on the game and playing the game hard and playing it the right way,” said Berube. “If there’s an opportunity to take the body — and I don’t care who it is — you go through them.
“But if you think you’re going to get back at Bennett, you’ll end up in the penalty box. We’ve got to focus on the game and play the game the way we need to play it.”
Kevin McGran is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow
him on Bluesky @kevinmcgran
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