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The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers with a 5–4 win at Scotiabank Arena, but the postgame buzz centered around a controversial incident rather than the scoreboard.
Midway through the second period, Panthers forward Sam Bennett appeared to elbow Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in the head while cutting across the crease. The contact forced Stolarz to leave the game shortly after, visibly shaken. Cameras captured him vomiting on the bench before he was taken to the locker room for further medical evaluation. Surprisingly, no penalty was called on the play.
After the game, head coach Craig Berube did not hold back. “Elbow to the head. Clear as day,” he told reporters. “I don’t know how the officials missed calling it.” His frustration mirrored that of Leafs fans and commentators, who flooded social media with slow-motion replays and calls for league review.
Before the incident, Stolarz had stopped eight of nine shots. In his absence, Joseph Woll stepped into the crease and held firm, making 17 saves to preserve the lead through a tense third period. The Panthers mounted a strong comeback attempt, scoring three times in the final frame through Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis, and Bennett himself. But it was not enough to erase Toronto’s early lead.
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William Nylander led the Maple Leafs with two goals and an assist, all in the first period. Chris Tanev and Matthew Knies each had a goal and an assist, while Morgan Rielly added another key tally. Rielly’s goal was a historic one—it marked his 14th career playoff goal, the most ever by a defenseman in franchise history.
In fact, Toronto’s defense continues to make headlines this postseason. With seven goals from the blue line through the team’s first seven games, the Leafs have tied their all-time franchise record for most goals by defensemen in that stretch. Their blueliners are not just defending—they are driving the offense and shaping the outcome.
With a 1–0 series lead, the Maple Leafs will host Game 2 on Wednesday night. The status of Anthony Stolarz remains unclear, and the league has yet to comment on whether supplemental discipline will be issued to Bennett. One thing is certain—this series is already heating up.
