Anthony Stolarz Shocks Maple Leafs Fans with Game 7 Appearance vs. the Panthers

In a shocking turn of events, Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has taken the ice for warmups ahead of Game 7, and is going to back up Joseph Woll in the do or die game.

It was a huge step forward, and a complete turnaround from earlier news where Stolarz would be out for the foreseeable future.

While it's highly unlikely that Stolarz will see the ice in any capacity, this is a huge morale boost for the Maple Leafs to have everyone on their bench as they head into their most important game in decades.

He was knocked out of Game 1 after a Sam Bennett elbow, and it was a rough go for the goaltender since then.

He was hospitalized afterwards, was seen in good spirits, and even skating; then the news came where he might be out for the long haul.

His comeback is spirited and needs to be admired even if he doesn't end up playing. Having a concussion is no small injury, and the fact we just heard he hadn't skated was more bad news.

Though it could easily be a ploy from Craig Berube to give the Panthers some false hope, while knowing Stolarz was at least good to sit on the bench and skate around in warmups.

Toronto is going to need all the reinforcements they can get, especially morale wise. The team is going to be under immense pressure, and the fact that they can look to Stolarz for support is a massive boost.

Plus, it just feels right to close out Game 7 with a win and to have Stolarz in celebration amongst his teammates, because frankly; they wouldn't have gotten here without him.

During the postseason and before he got injured, Stolarz posted a 4-2-0 record with a 2.19 GAA and .901 SV%. Very solid numbers, but it was his regular season where he truly shined.

In 34 games, Stolarz posted a 21-8-3 record with a 2.14 GAA and .926 SV% along with four shutouts; he signed a two-year deal with Toronto this past offseason.

While we might not see the goaltender in action during Game 7, his presence no doubt will make an impact for the Maple Leafs, even without playing.