Brandon Carlo Explains Why He Didn't Step In to Defend Anthony Stolarz
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Brandon Carlo reveals the reason he didn't initially get involved on Anthony Stolarz's "shoving" incident.
Brandon Carlo has been facing criticism since the Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Seattle Kraken for failing to take swift action and retaliate after Anthony Stolarz was knocked down.
Stolarz was shoved into during the last minute of the second period, colliding eith Seattle's Mason Marchment, who fell on top of Stolarz.
An angered Stolarz gave a push to Marchment after he got up, with Carlo, who to that point had only been watching getting involved.
Post-game, Stolarz made it clear that he was not impressed overall with the Leafs performance after the team lost in overtime to the Kraken, 4-3.
Brandon Carlo Says Not Getting Involved On Stolarz Play Was Tactical
Brandon Carlo says that he has a valid reason for not initially getting involved in the Stolarz/Marchment spat after being asked.
Carlo said that he was trying to avoid drawing a penalty that would give the Leafs a disadvantage going from a power play to a 4-on-4.
As I saw the referee call the penalty, you don't want to do too much to retaliate. But yeah, there's a certain extent, once you see Stolie get up and be angry too, you want to try and give him a shot. But overall, you want to go on the power play as well. So it's a weird area to be in. But overall, I think the power play is a useful thing in that situation. - Brandon Carlo
While Carlo's reasoning is sensible, it still has fans upset that Stolarz was not helped out by his own teammate, but that the lack of inaction came by one of the Leafs biggest bodies in Carlo.
At 6'5 and 227lbs, Carlo should be depended upon to be a physical presence and intimidate opponents. While the Leafs want to avoid an unnecessary penalty, fans don't want to see their players go without standing up for each other.
Concerns Emerge About Physically Lenient Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are falling back into a familiar pattern, they don't want to get too physical and too brash.
The Leafs are going into the same ideas they have had in past seasons where they don't want to be overaggressive and risky, and end up costing themselves with unnecessary penalties.
There does need to be a prevention of being in the penalty box too much, but plays like Stolarz's are a time in which fans want to see action and a feisty Leafs, and standing still sends the wrong message to the team, and opponents.
If Stolarz has to fight for himself, it leads to teams seeing that he's an easy target, and a vulnerable one.
Having this not be his first charge at the net by an opponent following his concussion in last season's playoffs, Stolarz getting close calls has become a noticeable trend, and the Leafs can't sit by and let it happen.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will want to be careful and avoid being too careless, but when it matters, some fights will become unavoidable, and necessary to show opponents they're not going to be pushed around this season.
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