Anthony Stolarz says Maple Leafs need to play like bastards to bounce back next season
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz feels that his team needs to be more engaged physically if they wish to rebound next season.
A lot was made about the Leafs’ lack of pushback and a consistent willingness to stick up for their teammates when the going gets tough. With countless incidents that drew the ire of the fanbase, namely Stolarz trying to fend off Mason Marchment and the lacklustre response to the Auston Matthews hit, there is clearly a lot that has to change if the Leafs want to be viewed as a difficult team to play against beyond their skill level.
Stolarz told reporters during the end-of-season media availability that while the Leafs did take strides as the season went along, the mindset has to be prevalent from day one of training camp next season for them to take a step forward.
“ We have to play like bastards and we have to play hard and we have to play heavy,” he said. “ There was that stretch where we shown it when we played with some of the best teams in the league and we were able to beat them. I think that was probably the toughest thing was probably just the consistency. We hung with some of the best teams in the league. We beat some of the best teams in the league. It just wasn’t there night in and night out.”
While Stolarz is remorseful for how it was handled because of how poorly he played afterwards, he doesn’t regret what he said because some tough love is always needed.
“ The way Willie responded and the team responded to the comments from me made me feel a lot better about myself,” he said. “Guys understood where I was coming from. There was no animosity between anyone in the room, and relationships weren’t broken or anything like that. We have a great locker room. I’m privileged to come to a room with 20 guys who are all good humans, all good fathers.”
Stolarz’s season came to an end a week early due to what he described as a groin strain. He stated that no surgery is required but that it is going to take some time for him to heal before he can strengthen the groin and get back to his normal summer routine.
“Definitely sucks. It’s a save I’ve made 500 times throughout the year between practice and games. It’s just one of those things,” he said. “I’ve been through injuries in my career, so for me it’s not gonna deter anything. I’m gonna hit the rehab process hard and do everything I can this summer and early this spring to just ensure that everything’s good to go for next year.”
As far as the heavy workload he was given early on, with Joseph Woll away for personal reasons and other unproven options, Stolarz felt he was physically capable of handling it but admitted he put too much pressure on himself to be perfect. He insists that having his normal mindset like he had during the previous season could have given him a better chance at success.
But at the end of the day, Stolarz believes that how the Leafs learn from the moments of pushback will be what dictates their chances of success next season.
“ You just gotta play hard and you kind of have to bully teams. I think that’s what the successful teams do,” he said. “ I think we did that towards the end of the year. Guys were sticking up for each other and that’s great. Going forward, we have to reflect on the second half here and say that’s something that we have to bring into next year.”
PRESENTED BY SUNWING VACATIONS