Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz day-to-day with lower-body injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube announced that goaltender Anthony Stolarz is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Stolarz had started Thursday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, but upon the start of the second period, Joseph Woll was in the crease, with the Leafs announcing that Stolarz wouldn’t return shortly after. He stopped 7 of 8 shots in the game, allowing a power play goal from Frank Vatrano for an .875% save percentage in 20 minutes of ice time, with the Leafs up 2-1 at the time of his departure.

While there isn’t a specific timeline for return for Stolarz, the day-to-day nature that the Leafs are approaching this injury with indicates that it isn’t anything long term.

The Leafs will have to hope that Stolarz’s injury isn’t anything too long-term, because he’s been fantastic in net for them this season with a 9-5-2 record, a .927% save%, 1 shutout and a 14.59 goals saved above expected in 17 games. His save% currently leads all goaltenders, while his GSAx is the third-highest after Connor Hellebuyck and Lukas Dostal, who was in the crease opposite to Stolarz for Thursday’s game.

With Stolarz out, the other Leafs’ goalie in the tandem in Woll took over to finish off the game for him, stopping 19 of 20 shots for a .950% save% in the 3-2 win over the Ducks. While Woll’s numbers aren’t nearly as spectacular as Stolarz’s, he still has done excellent with a 8-3-0 record, a .921 save%, 1 shutout and a 4.38 GSAx in 11 games.

As a result of Stolarz’s injury, Dennis Hildeby has been recalled from the Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Hildeby has a 1-1-0 record, an .869 save% and a -1.81 GSAx in 2 games with the Leafs this season, as well as a 2-2-2 record and an .897% save% in 6 games with the Marlies.

The Leafs will look to build on back-to-back wins when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST. Toronto currently sits in first in the Atlantic Division with an 18-9-2 record.