Maple Leafs' Stolarz Exits Game with Lower-Body Injury

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz exited Wednesday's game against the Washington Capitals in the first period after sustaining a lower-body injury, leaving the team without its starting netminder in a matchup at Scotiabank Arena.

The incident occurred 2:34 into the contest when Stolarz stretched his left leg to block a shot from distance by Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson. The 32-year-old goaltender immediately collapsed to the ice, removed his mask and remained down as a referee stopped play. Trainers attended to him on the spot, and Stolarz required assistance from multiple teammates to skate off toward the locker room, appearing in evident pain with his head lowered.

Joseph Woll stepped in as the replacement for the Maple Leafs, who allowed the Capitals to score on the play. Woll, in his third season with Toronto, entered with a 15-14-7 record, a .902 save percentage and a 3.32 goals-against average. Stolarz, meanwhile, had posted a 10-10-3 mark with a .892 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average during the 2025-26 campaign, which has been plagued by health issues.

Stolarz's injury adds to a pattern of absences for the veteran, who missed over two months...