While all the attention in Toronto over the weekend was (and still is) on the Toronto Blue Jays’ bid to reach the World Series, the Maple Leafs had a little in-house turmoil going on that didn’t make quite the dent on the richter scale that it normally would in Leafs Nation.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who took matters into his own hands after being barreled into his own net at one point, called out his team after the game, and specifically star forward William Nylander, in a not-too-veiled criticism of their effort in a 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday night.
But Stolarz, the team’s most valuable player so far this season, says he won’t shy away from vocalizing his concerns in the future, despite the little bit of furor it’s caused.
“I’m a vocal guy, and I’m going to continue to be a vocal guy. I’m a competitor. It’s the reason I’ve gotten to this point in my career. It’s the hardest league to make. For me, it’s just battling and not taking it for granted.”
Stolarz called out his teammates’ effort after Saturday’s OT loss to Seattle
Stolarz had questioned both the lack of protection he received from his teammates after taking yet another big hit in the crease, as well as calling out the entire team’s effort both in front of him and at the other end of the ice.
“A lot of guys have been here for a while. In overtime, you can’t let someone beat you up the ice there. (If) You want to be on the ice in that situation, you’ve got to work hard. You’ve got to work back and it cost us a point there.”
He has since talked it out with Nylander, who was clearly the target of those comments.
“I pulled Willy aside, we had a conversation. He’s someone I admire & someone I respect deeply. There’s a reason he’s been in this league for so long. He’s a hell of a player & he pushes me & I push him.”
Nylander said he’s got no problem with his goalie’s outburst. “It’s all good. We’re teammates, he’s a great guy. It’s nothing we need to talk about (in the media). He talked to me after and it’s all good.”
Head coach Craig Berube addressed it to the assembled media on Monday, sort of insinuating that it shouldn’t have gone down that way. But hey, stuff happens.
“It’s frustration. We all prefer it stay in the room, but it happens,” Berube said. “We’ve moved on from it. It’s over with.”
With a 3-2-1 record after six games, the Leafs are off to a bit of a mediocre start. It remains to be seen if Stolarz’s fiery comments do indeed fire them up.
