Anthony Stolarz Injury: How Does Potential Absence Impact Maple Leafs vs. Panthers?

Anthony Stolarz left Game 1 after taking a couple of shots to the head - one from the puck and the other from Sam Bennett's forearm - so how will his potential absence impact the series and might he play in Game 2? We got ChatGPT to provide analysis.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: May 7, 2025 2:14 PM EDT • 5 min read

Anthony Stolarz Injury: Will Maple Leads Goalie Play Tonight? — Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz reacts after being hit by Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett. Photo by John E. Sokolowski via Imagn Images

Anthony Stolarz was forced out of the Toronto Maple Leafs net in the second period of Game 1 against the Florida Panthers after taking a puck and a Sam Bennett forearm to the head.

While Stolarz rejoined the team after being released from the hospital, there has been no telling update regarding his status for tonight's Game 2 or long-term outlook for the rest of the second-round NHL Playoffs series.

With Toronto's ace playing arguably the most integral part in the Maple Leafs' season and playoff success thus far, we asked ChatGPT to chime in and analyze how Stolarz's potential absence will impact the Maple Leafs vs. Panthers series.

👉 For human-generated content, check out our Panthers vs. Maple Leafs prediction and Panthers vs. Maple Leafs player props.

🤖 How we generated our Stolarz AI analysis, predictions

Our AI-generated predictions for the featured subject matter were generated using ChatGPT- which relied on probabilistic modeling to generate its exact analysis.

ChatGPT is a large language model and is not specifically designed for predicting such scenarios, so these projections should be viewed as entertainment or a supplementary data point.

🥅 Potential impact if Stolarz doesn't play in Game 2

"With Stolarz out and Joseph Woll in, the game is likely to be open and high-event. Analytics from Game 1 show that once Woll entered, Florida dominated high-danger chances: Toronto survived a tense third period in which the Panthers controlled more than 64% of the expected goals at 5-on-5.

Woll allowed two goals on the opening eight shots he faced. He settled down afterward, making timely saves. However, he gave up a deflected shot by Eetu Luostarinen that could have been saved and a clean wrist shot by Uvis Balinskis in the third period.

As he's only played just over one period since April 17, rust is a definite possibility.

Also, the team could play differently in front of him as the entire psyche of the collective will be impacted. He'll play well but won't come up with the show-stopping saves Stolarz does. Woll has large shoes to fill, with Stolarz allowing three goals or more in just two of the previous 13 games."

🤖 AI Game 2 score prediction if Stolarz doesn't play

🎯 Score prediction: Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 3

🤖 AI Game 2 prediction if Stolarz plays

🎯 Score prediction: Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2

🥅 How will Woll perform if Stolarz misses rest of series?

Anthony Stolarz Injury: How Does Potential Absence Impact Maple Leafs vs. Panthers? — Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll looks for the puck against the Florida Panthers. Photo by John E. Sokolowski via Imagn Images

"No long-term outlook has been given. If Stolarz is out for the remainder of the series, the balance of the matchup shifts substantially - and hinges on how well Woll can shoulder the starting load.

Woll is not untested – he won Games 5 and 6 against the Boston Bruins at this very stage of the 2023 playoffs. In Game 1 against the Panthers, Woll proved he's a capable fill-in.

Woll has a pretty impressive playoff track record, albeit over a small sample size. Prior to Game 1, he was 4–2 with a 2.12 goals-against average (GAA) and .924 save percentage in eight career postseason appearances.

He's 3-4 in seven games against the Panthers, with a GAA of 2.63 and a save percentage of .924.

While Woll will offer stability, he won't be able to steal a game or two, which the Maple Leafs will require to win this series. There's no substitute for Stolarz and his ability to prevent the opposition from breaking it open. Stolarz's play over the last month ranks among the league's best, and Woll won't be able to replace him like-for-like."

📉 Series prediction without Stolarz: Florida wins in 6 games (4–2)

🔚 Summary:

Woll will likely be solid, but won't be the difference-maker that Stolarz is
Without Stolarz, Toronto loses its primary X-Factor
Florida in 6 is the most probable outcome, assuming Woll plays the rest of the way and maintains average performance levels

🐆 Which Panthers will benefit most if Stolarz doesn’t play?

The below stats are based on Woll's last six games and one-plus period against the Panthers dating back to the 2022-23 second-round playoff series.

🏒 Carter Verhaeghe scored four goals, including two in three playoff games
🏒 Sam Reinhart scored three goals, including two in three playoff games
🏒 Sam Bennett scored twice, including in the third period of Game 1
🏒 Eetu Luostarinen scored twice in the last two games against Woll, including in Game 1

🥅 Will Stolarz play in Game 2 tonight?

Stolarz will not play tonight, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. Matt Murray will serve as the backup to Joseph Woll.

📡 How to watch Panthers vs. Maple Leafs live (Game 2)

📅 Wednesday, May 7
🕗 7 p.m. ET
📍 Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
📺 ESPN, Sportsnet | 🛜 ESPN+, Sportsnet+

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Written By:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.