BURSTDALLAS — As the late, great Muhammad Ali once said: “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
Or, in the concerning case of Anthony Stolarz, the pebble in his knee.
That pebble poses, at the very least, a nuisance — if not a hindrance — to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ designs on the climbing the ultimate mountain.
“There was … almost like a little pebble, a loose body that was stuck in behind his knee,” general manager Brad Treliving told reporters in Toronto Tuesday, before his club set course for Texas without its No. 1 goaltender.
“He’s going to have a procedure to have that removed. It’s not a repair; it’s not of that nature. But they are going to remove a loose body. We’re going to list him as week-to-week. I would anticipate that we’re looking in the four-to-six-week mark.”
We are reluctant to play doctor here, but if these extra-cautious Maple Leafs are looking at that recovery time frame for Stolarz’s surgery Wednesday in New York, it makes sense to not rush the goalie back to work before the extended 4 Nations Face-Off break.
That would ballpark Stolarz’s return for roughly Feb. 22. That would mean being absent for 26 games — 32 per cent of the regular season.
If Leafs Nation finds itself going for coffee with the “This is fine” dog, we understand.
This was always the risk, wasn’t it?
No one questioned Stolarz’s ability when the American inked his cap-friendly two-year, $5-million contract with the Leafs on Canada Day.
They questioned his availability.
Are you wondering if it’s the bad knee he’s getting surgery on?
It is.
Because both knees have a surgical history, and it was a seemingly harmless movement that loosened the body.
And while Treliving downplayed the surgery, saying it is not related to Stolarz’s previous knee injuries, we’ll argue that it’s kind of related because it’s the knee.
Stolarz could not fully straighten his leg. He pulled himself out of Thursday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. An MRI revealed no structural damage to his knee (whew), but full movement won’t return until he goes under the knife.
The last time Stolarz finished a game, the opposing coach lauded the Maple Leafs for having the “best goaltending in the league,” and that’s not hyperbole.
Stolarz’s .927 save percentage is tops among all NHL goalies who have appeared in at least five games this season, including Hart Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck.
He’s the main the Leafs rank tops in the East in team save percentage (.909).
But not the only reason.
“I’ve got lots of confidence in our group,” Treliving said. “Joe’s been playing really well.”
Joseph Woll — the other half of Toronto’s talented but injury-prone tandem — has been fabulous since recovering from an October groin strain. He’s been on the winning side in seven of his past nine appearances and is hungry for more.
Like Stolarz, however, Woll hasn’t played so much as half a pro season.
“It’s important to take it day by day, and that’s something I’ve learned,” Woll said. “To play in this league, it’s very important to keep a very short-term focus. You can have a bit of looking into the future in terms of how you take care of yourself and stuff like that. But your attention needs to be pretty day to day.
“Obviously, all the support and hope that he gets better as quickly as possible. And at the other end of it, just focus on doing my job. Get prepared for whatever the team needs.”
Well, with the half of the league’s best pure goalie tandem out for a couple months, the team needs goal support. And saves.
Treliving says veteran AHLer Matt Murray is “absolutely” an option, but Murray himself tweaked something last week and has a recent history of fragility.
Treliving is hopeful Murray starts Wednesday for the Marlies in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. And if things go well, Murray could supplant prospect Dennis Hildeby (2-1-0, .875) as the Leafs’ temporary backup.
There is also the option of 23-year-old prospect Artur Akhtyamov, who has yielded far and away the best results down on the farm (8-1-1, .911).
The catch is, this is the Russian’s first season overseas, and the organization has no interest in rushing his development to the NHL level.
So, the onus falls on Woll. This is his time to run with the job.
And, considering the condensed schedule, for Hildeby and/or Murray to hold the fort past Valentine’s Day.
What a healthy Stolarz accomplished was injecting confidence in the skaters who played in front of him.
So, how high is that confidence now, knowing Stolarz is getting surgery?
“I mean, I think it’s pretty high,” Auston Matthews. “Joe has been great for us, and the Beast (Hildeby) has been solid when he’s been up and had to play. I think we have a lot of confidence in our goalies.
“Hope the best for Stolie. He’s been great for us all year. But guys, on forward or defence side of it, guys get injured. Guys got to step up.”
Minten smartly returns to Marlies
With natural centre David Kämpf returning to action Wednesday in Dallas after spending a month rehabbing a lower-body injury, the Maple Leafs smartly returned Fraser Minten to the AHL for more development.
The prospect wowed early in his callup, putting up four points in five games, and earning Berube’s trust and praise.
Over the following six games, however, Minten didn’t hit the scoresheet. He was a minus-1 over that span and failed to register a shot in half those outing. His ice time dwindled and, as healthy forwards kept returning, he was ultimately scratched.
“He played tremendous for us. Craig and I talk all the time, so we like this player a lot. If you saw the last few games, he started to taper a little bit,” Treliving said.
“You’re a young player. You gotta keep playing, right? We’re not gonna sit him in the stands.”
Treliving didn’t want to recall Minten at all this season — the 20-year-old’s first full one as a professional — but injuries forced the Leafs’ hand. And both the player and the club got a peek of his strengths and weaknesses at the highest level.
“His hockey IQ definitely jumps out when you watch him play,” Matthews said. “You see a lot of potential down the line as he continues to mature and grow.”
One-Timers: Berube appears to be sticking with his $35.65-million top line of Matthews centring William Nylander and Mitch Marner, for now. “They created a lot of good opportunities,” the coach said. “The issue is, they gotta get to the net too.” … As more healthy skaters return to action, it appears Simon Benoit, Pontus Holmberg and Connor Dewar will be Wednesday’s scratches. … The lineup Toronto practised with on Tuesday moves Oliver Ekman-Larsson to his natural left side and keeps Sunday’s impressive third line intact.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Wednesday in Dallas:
Nylander – Matthews – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Pacioretty
McMann – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Kämpf – Reaves
Rielly – Myers
McCabe – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Timmins
Woll starts
Hildeby
