Ekman-Larsson vanishes from practice while Stolarz returns with a neck guard, but why the emergency recall?
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Oliver Ekman-Larsson left practice for unknown reasons, and Anthony Stolarz re-appeared with some extra protection as Craig Berube says he's good to go. So why did the team bring back Dennis Hildeby?
It was a mysterious Monday for the Toronto Maple Leafs as defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson decided to leave practice for unknown reasons, and didn't return to the ice.
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Craig Berube didn't seem too concerned however, and it sounds like OEL would be able to slot into the lineup against the Bruins on Tuesday:
Nothing. He's fine. Something was bugging him so he left. That's it, really. He should be fine. I really don't know. I haven't talked to the trainers yet. I was just told he was fine so he should be fine tomorrow.
But a bigger surprise was seeing the return of Anthony Stolarz, who was sporting some new neck protection after taking a shot to the throat courtesy of William Nylander.
Berube said Stolarz was 'good to go' after the scare, though stopped short of naming him as the starter for Tuesday night. Stolarz himself confirmed that things looked way worse, and after about an hour was feeling more himself:
I was kind of in shock honestly. It was a little difficult breathe & talk, but after about 30, 40 minutes it all started coming back to me.
However, the team is still being mum about their injury issues which fans are not going to appreciate. While Berube is confident in OEL and the medical staff's evaluation; it's another 'day to day' or wait-and-see approach.
So if Stolarz is good to go, it begs the question: Why did the team bring up Dennis Hildeby?
Dennis Hildeby's call-up is a 'break glass in case of emergency' situation
Well it makes little sense then why the Maple Leafs called up Hildeby earlier on Monday right? Well not so fast.
While Stolarz is good to go, if he does play that means his backup is likely Joseph Woll which means he would be potentially appearing in his fourth straight game. That's not good for Woll as he has injury concerns too, so it's good Hildeby is back in the fold.
Plus if Stolarz isn't ready to play, at least Hildeby offers Woll a break from starting too. He probably should start too, considering he has great numbers against Boston in his young career and deserves a strong look ahead of next year.
But this is certainly feeling less like a 'Hildeby extended look' and more of a 'break glass in case of Stolarz' situation. It's not ideal but it's the reality of the situation. Let's just hope that Berube has some second thoughts about Stolarz starting against the Bruins.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 23|1031 ANSWERS Ekman-Larsson vanishes from practice while Stolarz returns with a neck guard, but why the emergency recall? Who should Toronto start in net against the Boston Bruins? | ||
| Joseph Woll | 260 | 25.2 % |
| Anthony Stolarz | 288 | 27.9 % |
| Dennis Hildeby | 483 | 46.8 % |
| List of polls | ||