Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz could face supplemental discipline after dangerous play
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz hacked at Devils forward Evan Rodrigues in a 4-0 loss, and a fine or more from the league is possible.
Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz hacked at Devils forward Evan Rodrigues during Sunday's game in Toronto, a play that could cost him. New Jersey went on to win 4-0.
The league has not ruled, so a punishment remains a possibility, not a fact.
Similar plays have drawn fines before, and a goalie swinging his stick at a skater tends to get noticed.
Fines are monetary penalties and do not by themselves keep a player out of games.
An Out-of-Character Moment for Stolarz
Stolarz is not a goalie who goes looking for trouble.
He has just 6 penalty minutes across 174 career games, which is why a swing like this stands out.
It also lands awkwardly for a netminder who has talked this week about getting back to his old self.
A Hometown Night Gone Sideways
Rodrigues is a Toronto native, so the moment came in front of his hometown crowd.
The 33-year-old has 3 goals and 4 assists in 17 games this season and scored in New Jersey's overtime win at the Islanders on Saturday.
Timo Meier scored twice for the Devils, and Nico Hischier added a goal and an assist.
The mood around the game makes some sense.
Toronto arrived at 8-8-2 and had dropped two straight, including a 4-2 loss to Montreal on Saturday.
Sunday's shutout made it three in a row.
New Jersey came in at 12-5-0 with four consecutive wins.
When a struggling team faces a hot opponent, tempers can fray, and a goalie's stick is rarely where fans expect the trouble to start.
Both teams are back in action Tuesday, with the Devils at Winnipeg and the Maple Leafs hosting Colorado.
Watch for whether the league acts before then.
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