Forgive Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender Anthony Stolarz if he wants a mulligan.
The Leafs' starting goaltender, coming off a spectacular first season in Toronto and armed with the security of a new, long-term contract extension, called out his teammates after an uninspiring overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 18.
Stolarz was upset with the lack of effort on a backchecking attempt from Leafs' star William Nylander on the game-winning overtime goal. That play was the final straw after the Maple Leafs' goalie had been crashed into by the Kraken's Mason Marchment earlier in the game, with nary a response from his teammates.
The continued pattern of Leaf opponents bowling over the netminder had started with a playoff-ending hit to the head from the Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett last spring. The abuse from opposing forwards continued through much of the early portion of the 2025-26 schedule. Being "outworked", "playing catch in the yard" (referencing the ease of making saves for opposition goalies), and "enough is enough" were some of the highlights from Stolarz's postgame call-out.
Much of the team's fanbase (and perhaps some within Leafs' management) enjoyed Stolarz's heartfelt response and attempt at leadership, hoping to give his team a jolt. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened.
Leafs' Goalie Has Struggled With Increased Workload
The Leafs recent loss to the Boston Bruins saw Stolarz leave after the first period with an upper-body injury. By the end of the first period, the Maple Leafs trailed 3-1 and Stolarz had let in two very questionable goals. A soft wrist shot from just inside the blue line, when he was down early, and a five-hole shot from ex-Leaf Alex Steeves put the Leafs in a hole they could not recover from.
During the Leafs' previous game against the Bruins, three days earlier, Stolarz was pulled after allowing four goals on nineteen shots in a 5-3 loss at Scotiabank Arena. In the 11 games since the Kraken game, after Stolarz called out his teammates, the Maple Leafs have allowed five or more goals against six times. They have held the opposition to two goals against only once, a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1.
Since the Kraken game, Stolarz has a goals-against average over 4.00 in eight appearances. Over his last two starts, both against the Bruins, he has given up seven goals on thirty shots, for an abysmal .767 save percentage.
For the season, the Leafs' number-one netminder has won just six of his thirteen starts, posting a 3.51 GAA and a .884 save percentage, well off his career mark of .915. Now, he has the upper-body injury to work through.
It's safe to say the goaltender's start to the 2025-26 season is not what he or the Leafs imagined. Thus far, Stolarz has struggled to build off his strong debut season in Toronto, and injury troubles have resurfaced.
In the near future, Stolarz's goaltending partner, Joseph Woll, is expected to begin a rehab stint with the Toronto Marlies. He could return to provide insurance and alleviate some of the pressure from Stolarz. That's the best tonic for the Maple Leafs, relieving the spotlight from their starting goaltender and his good intentions gone bad.