Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was back on the ice Tuesday, taking a notable step in his recovery from an undisclosed injury suffered in Game 1 of the Leafs' current second-round Eastern Conference playoff series against Florida.
Stolarz worked out with goaltending coach Curtis Sanford for about 30 minutes before heading off ahead of the Leafs' optional team practice. It was the first time he had been spotted back in action since getting hurt on May 5.
Leafs coach Craig Berube said after Tuesday's session that he didn't have an updated timeline on when Stolarz might be available but that it was a positive sign to see him in gear again.
"He's progressing," Berube said. "He's on the ice a little bit. He's feeling much better."
Toronto's top netminder was injured midway through Game 1 after taking a puck off his mask and an elbow to the head from Panthers' forward Sam Bennett. Stolarz exited shortly after the Bennett hit and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
He has been sidelined ever since and didn't travel with the Leafs when they went to Florida for Game 3 and Game 4 of the series last week. Berube confirmed then that Stolarz had yet to resume skating.
The veteran goalie had started all six of the Leafs' games in their first-round series against Ottawa, producing a 4-2 record with a .901 SV% and 2.19 GAA to help Toronto advance.
Joseph Woll has taken the reigns in Toronto's crease following the injury. He finished backstopping the Leafs to a win in Games 1 and 2, before the Panthers pushed back with a pair of wins at home to even the best-of-seven series, 2-2. Woll is now 2-2 in the postseason, with an .893 SV% and 3.51 GAA.
Game 5 between the Leafs and Panthers is set for Wednesday in Toronto.
