Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz completely owning his locker room mistake sets a fearless new standard
Photo credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Anthony Stolarz didn't mince words at his end of season media scrum, and implored the Maple Leafs to 'play like bastards' if they want to repent for this year.
Suffice to say, Anthony Stolarz's season didn't exactly go the way he had envisioned it after only playing in 23 games. He was injured all season, missed two months in the middle of the year, and finally was put on the shelf after yet another ailment.
He needs a full summer to heal, but before that he needed to face the Toronto media as the team cleaned out their lockers on Thursday. He wasn't too happy wit the results, and was pressed about what the team needs to do to mount a comeback next year.
Exactly why taking pure accountability for his actions proves why Stolarz is a leader on this team
Stolarz wasn't shy about using some colourful language to explain what the Maple Leafs have to start doing in order to be better, and there's a strong possibility that the new management group will need to overhaul the roster if so:
We have to play like bastards. We have to play hard and we have to play heavy.
We got served a slice of humble pie this year, hopefully that fuels everyone.
We got served a slice of humble pie this year, hopefully that fuels everyone.
Bold. Blunt. Brash. That's exactly the attitude that you need Stolarz to have going forward as he no doubt felt frustrated with the team around him. It was early on in the season that the goaltender had to deal with being run over while Brandon Carlo did nothing.
Stolarz also then called out the team for not giving him the protection both physically and in front of him on the ice; he's bee rightfully salty for months and clearly tensions are rising — while pointing the finger at William Nylander.
But he apologized on Thursday and explained that he meant it from a place of love, not malice and that Nylander understood there were no hard feelings:
I was probably going about it the wrong way. I probably could’ve handled it a lot differently.
Just the way Willy responded and the team responded to the comments from me made me feel a lot better about myself.
Just the way Willy responded and the team responded to the comments from me made me feel a lot better about myself.
This is the type of accountability we need to see from the Maple Leafs. None of this too many passengers, or passing the buck onto others. Everyone played a role in the disappointment this season brought so own up to it, and strive to do better.
Stolarz, 32, had a 10-10-3 record with a 3.28 GAA and .893 SV%; a far cry from his 21-8-3 record to go along with a 2.14 GAA and .926 SV%.
How this incredibly honest approach perfectly guarantees a ruthless attitude next season
You're going to hopefully see a lot more transparency and honesty from all of the Maple Leafs top to bottom, and with Stolarz saying that the team needs to basically stop being so safe; it's a wake-up call.
Do you want to have Stolarz publicly calling everyone out again? Do you want another season where you have star players injured intentionally and do nothing about it? How does another bottom-five finish sound?
Not good in the slightest, and as you've seen from previous teams who have found success — playing like bastards really does seem to be successful.
I don't think Florida would have won two Cups in a row if they were soft, nor would they have been a team to really walk all over Toronto in the playoffs either.
Sam Bennett elbowed Stolarz in the head, and he got nothing from anyone. Stolarz knows what it takes to win and how a team like the Panthers have to be a bit thorny in order to become champions.
No one said being honest didn't hurt feelings, but with the Maple Leafs facing some pretty harsh criticisms from around the NHL...perhaps it's time to start being nasty.
Stop playing like two-ply, and start being the sandpaper that wears opponents down to the bone.
And not feel an ounce of regret doing it either.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Free agent Bobby McMann dropping an intense reality check leaves Toronto zero room for error
Free agent Bobby McMann dropping an intense reality check leaves Toronto zero room for error