Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, almost in spite of himself, became a Jacques Plant impersonator during Thursday's game against the New York Rangers.
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With the score tied at 1-1 and just over three minutes left in the third period, the goalie lost his mask on a shot from Matt Rempe and was forced to save a dangerous shot from JT Miller shortly thereafter. Luckily for him, the puck hit his pad, so he wasn't hurt. If the blow had to be more forceful, the scene would not necessarily be beautiful.
However, Stolarz had something to say about this. He also looked closely at the referee after making the save. But official Garrett Rank and Justin Key simply followed the rules. Indeed, if there is a possibility that the sequence of actions will lead to an imminent goal, the game can continue even if the goalkeeper is no longer wearing a mask.
“This is the second time this has happened,” Cerberus commented to reporters, saying he wanted change in the National League. “It happened on Adin Hill [des Golden Knights de Vegas] the other evening. I hope we can find a compromise. Not that the guards didn't do it.[essayaient] They don’t take off their masks.”
“Without the loop, you can't really see the puck. We can't follow it or do anything. As soon as you move your head, it drops. So I hope the league can look into the situation and discuss it with security or people who know the position to come to a compromise that doesn't jeopardize our safety,” he added.
After stopping 28 shots, Stolarz was able to smile again thanks to his teammates as they won 2-1 in overtime.
