Although Anthony Stolarz reportedly left Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher and was evaluated in hospital, there's still a chance, according to head coach Craig Berube, that he starts Game 2 for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I don't know that yet," he said Tuesday morning. "I'll probably find out today at some point. I'm not sure yet."

Stolarz left Game 1 midway through the second period after throwing up at Toronto's bench during a TV timeout. Him being sick came minutes after Sam Bennett's forearm caught the goaltender in the head with his forearm.

There was no penalty on the play. Nor was there supplemental discipline from NHL Player Safety in the aftermath.

"I don't want to talk about it," Berube added. "It's over."

Panthers' Sam Bennett On Collision With Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz: 'I'm Just Taking The Puck To The Net'When Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett spoke on Tuesday morning, he considered his collision with Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz a bump.

Earlier in the game, the 31-year-old took a Sam Reinhart shot to the mask, knocking off the helmet straps. Stolarz stopped eight of nine shots before leaving the game at 10:12 of the second period.

Joseph Woll came in for relief, stopping 17 of 20 shots. It was the 26-year-old's first playoff game this season, after Stolarz started all six games of Toronto's first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

"Well, you've seen him this year, played a lot of good games, a lot of good hockey for us this year," Berube said of Woll.

"Stolie, he was out for, what, two months? I don't know. Can't remember the timeline, but he (Woll) was in there holding the fort for us. We've got a ton of faith in him."

A Tough Situation For Sure’: Joseph Woll Secures Maple Leafs’ First 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Win After Anthony Stolarz InjuryIt was not how Joseph Woll wanted to make his 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut.

Through eight-career playoff games, Woll has four wins and a .924 save percentage in that span. The goaltender played a career-high 42 games this season, winning 27 with a .909 save percentage.

"Yeah, he's a worker. The one thing about Wollsy, he's very dedicated to what he's doing. Off the ice and on the ice, he's one of the most dedicated guys I've been around in that aspect," added Berube.

"He works at his game constantly. He's a great teammate. He does what he needs to be ready to play."

Knies’ Game-Winner Gives Maple Leafs 1-0 Series Lead Over PanthersWith a 5-4 win on Monday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs take a 1-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers.

While it remains unknown if Stolarz will play in Game 2, it appears highly unlikely, given how he departed from Game 1, that he starts for Toronto in the second game of the series.

Hockey can be a wild sport at times, with the collisions and the physical contact, but it's good that Stolarz is in good spirits after everything that occurred on Monday night.

"I like the way that he looked this morning when I got to see him for a smile and at breakfast," Brandon Carlo said, "so that's always a good thing."

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Much of the attention surrounding Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs has not been about the results.

Toronto won 5-4, in case you forgot.

No, the spotlight has been on Panthers center Sam Bennett and Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz.

During the second period of Monday’s game, Bennett skated into the crease with the puck and caught Stolarz in the head with his forearm.

Stolarz immediately went down and the officials blew the play dead. He remained on the ice for about two minutes of game time – around nine minutes in real time – before skating over to Toronto’s bench and throwing up.

He was immediately removed from the game and replaced by backup Joseph Woll.

Stolarz was then taken to a local area hospital for treatment and further evaluation, and he’s already reportedly been released.

Speaking on Tuesday, Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube did not rule out Stolarz for Game 2.

Craig Berube wouldn’t rule out Anthony Stolarz starting in Game 2: “Yeah I don’t know that yet … I’ll probably find out (later) today.”

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) May 6, 2025

After the game, Berube was not shy about expressing his feelings on the play, saying that the “elbow to the head” was as “clear as day.”

Bennett was not penalized on the play and won’t be disciplined by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

He did not speak to the media after the game, but did on Tuesday morning.

Bennett said he considers Stolarz “a good friend of mine” – the two won the Stanley Cup with Florida last season – and said he reached out to him and that Stolarz responded.

As for the hit itself, Bennett said he had no intent to hurt Stolarz.

“You never want to see an injury like that,” said Bennett. “From my point of view, I’m just taking the puck to the net. I didn’t even know we made contact until after. I’m on the power play, I’m trying to score and I’m taking the puck to the net. That’s really all there was to it.”

Bennett is no stranger to controversial hits during the playoffs.

There was a hit on Toronto’s Matthew Knies during their second-round matchup in 2023, and last season Bennett caught then-Bruins forward, now teammate Brad Marchand with a hit to the head.

Both caused injuries, and both times Bennett was not disciplined by the league.

Bennett was asked how he manages when the outside perception of him can be a result of those divisive plays.

“That’s part of the game," he said. "I play a hard style of hockey. I think people get upset by things and worked up, but I try to just tune that out. I’m just trying to play my game, I’m just trying to help our team win and I just try and push all that noise away.”

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice also spoke on Tuesday morning and had a similar opinion as Bennett and, apparently, the NHL.

“If I thought that Sam (Bennett) had crossed the line or an edge, I’d probably be more careful with my words,” Maurice said. “I just didn't think it happened.”

We’ll see if the Leafs players feel the same way when Florida and Toronto take the ice for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

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It's a rematch from the 2022-23 second round, but the series will be far different from the last time the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers met. 

The Oilers had made the Western Conference Finals the season before but were beaten handily by the Colorado Avalanche. Their roster at the time wasn't strong enough, but due to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's brilliance, they could defeat lesser teams. 

When they met the Golden Knights in the playoffs, the Golden Knights' solidified blue line and depth outmatched the Oilers. Although the Golden Knights still hold that advantage this time around, the Oilers have the experience of being a win away from the Stanley Cup. Their depth guys understand their role and can execute it.

“There’s always going to be some sparks when you play that team, and we’ll see when they happen,” said Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy. “So I expect that. I expect some physicality and some level of animosity amongst the two teams, and we’ll see where it goes.”

When the teams first met in the playoffs, suspensions were handed out to both teams, and the physicality was ramped up, playing into the hands of the Golden Knights. It was the start of a rivalry that has continued in each matchup. 

Getting off to a fast start on home ice is imperative, but at no time can the Golden Knights take their foot off the gas. The Los Angeles Kings took a 2-0 series lead but dropped four consecutive games to the Oilers.

Both teams are relatively healthy. Mattias Ekholm has been declared out for the entire second round, which is a major loss for the Oilers. The Golden Knights will be without Pavel Dorofeyev tonight, as his day-to-day status continues. He hasn't skated since suffering an injury in the third period of Game 5. 

Ivan Barbashev had missed a practice on May. 3 with what was deemed maintenance, and will be in the lineup tonight. 

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Golden Knights, Oilers Open Second Round On Tuesday In VegasThe Golden Knights will open their second-round series with the Edmonton Oilers at home on Tuesday at 6:30 pm (pacific).

The Florida Panthers have made a move, signing defenseman Ludvig Jansson to a three-year, entry-level contract. His new deal will kick in during the 2025-26 campaign.

Jansson, 21, was selected by the Panthers with the 125th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, the 6-foot blueliner has been working on his development overseas in Sweden. However, after signing this entry-level contract, he is able to begin his professional career in North America next season.

Jansson appeared in 50 games this season with Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), where he had one goal, four points, and a minus-2 rating. He also recorded two assists in 17 playoff games for the SHL squad, where they took home the Le Mat Trophy.

Jansson will likely need to spend some time with the Panthers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, before making the jump to the NHL level. However, the right-shot defenseman has good upside, and it will be fascinating to see how much of an impact he can make with the Panthers later down the road from here.

Recent Panthers News 

Panthers Red-Hot Forward Is Hitting New Level This PlayoffsThe Florida Panthers lost their Game 1 matchup to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 5-4 final score. The Panthers made a push in the third period by scoring three goals, but they could not complete the comeback. Report: Stolarz hospitalized, Leafs' coach feels Bennett 'elbow to the head' was 'clear as day'As is often the case when it comes to Florida Panthers and playoff games, much of the talk after Monday’s Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs was about a controversial hit. Comeback effort falls short as Panthers struggle early in Game 1 loss to TorontoThe Florida Panthers will have to come from behind if they’re going to advance past the Toronto Maple Leafs. Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Has Big Praise For Brad MarchandThe Florida Panthers made a major move at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, acquiring star forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. With this move, the Panthers added another top-six forward to their group. 

The Florida Panthers lost their Game 1 matchup to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 5-4 final score. The Panthers made a push in the third period by scoring three goals, but they could not complete the comeback.

Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen kicked off Florida's third-period rally attempt, as he scored just 1:39 into the period. It was a nice goal, too, as he deflected a Anton Lundell feed past Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll to cut Toronto's lead to 4-2. 

With this goal, Luostarinen extended his point streak to three games. The 26-year-old forward has been excellent during this streak, posting two goals, six points, and a plus-7 rating over that span. This includes scoring a goal and recording four points in the Panthers' series-clinching win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the last round. 

With numbers like this, Luostarinen is undoubtedly hitting a new level offensively right now for the Panthers. While the 2017 second-round pick is more known for his strong defensive play and physicality, he has been a difference-maker offensively for the Panthers this post-season so far.

If the Panthers hope to get by the Maple Leafs and go on another long playoff run, they will need players like Luostarinen to continue to thrive for them. It will be interesting to see how he builds on his impressive play from here. 

Recent Panthers News 

Report: Stolarz hospitalized, Leafs' coach feels Bennett 'elbow to the head' was 'clear as day'As is often the case when it comes to Florida Panthers and playoff games, much of the talk after Monday’s Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs was about a controversial hit. Comeback effort falls short as Panthers struggle early in Game 1 loss to TorontoThe Florida Panthers will have to come from behind if they’re going to advance past the Toronto Maple Leafs. Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Has Big Praise For Brad MarchandThe Florida Panthers made a major move at the 2025 NHL trade deadline, acquiring star forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. With this move, the Panthers added another top-six forward to their group.