After Monday’s practice, Anthony Stolarz reflected on Saturday’s post-game comments regarding William Nylander’s play in overtime and the collision in the crease with Mason Marchment.
You were frustrated after the game on Saturday. What sort of conversations have you had with your teammates about where things stand since then?
Stolarz: We’ve discussed it. We’re all competitive guys. We all want to win. It is pro sports. At the end of the day, your goal is to win the Stanley Cup. In order to get there, it is a process.
We have had some discussions. We love each other. It is a family in here. We are looking to move on.
What was the conversation like with William Nylander?
Stolarz: I pulled Willy aside, and we had a conversation. He is someone I admire and respect deeply. There is a reason he’s been in this league for so long. He is a hell of a player. He pushes me, and I push him. If you look at his offensive skill, he has made me a better goalie just from facing him every day practice.
We are a family in here. We are looking to push each other and get to our ultimate goal at the end of the day.
Do things tend to get magnified in overtime more with the three-on-three and the stakes, knowing the heros and goats can go either way?
Stolarz: Yeah, it’s three-on-three overtime, and that guy on Seattle is bearing down on me. I get paid to stop the puck, too. At the end of the day, it is on me as well.
For me, it is a simple job. Get in front of the puck and stop it. There are instances as a goalie where you have to come up big. Right there was a prime example.
For me, going forward, my main focus is going to be going out, stopping the puck, and giving this team a chance to compete every night. The guys are looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.
What kind of a leadership role do you see for yourself here? It is a bit of a different sport for goalies, but you’ve signed an extension, and it is your second year in Toronto.
Stolarz: I am a vocal guy. I am going to continue to be a vocal guy. I am a competitor. It is the reason I have gotten to this point in my career. It is the hardest league to make. For me, it is about battling and not taking it for granted.
As a competitor, every time you go out there, you want to win. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing sewer ball against the other team or are playing an NHL game. You want to win. You want to beat them.
Does being vocal come natural to you?
Stolarz: Yeah, it’s something I’ve always been since I was a young goalie, communicaitng with the D. On the ice, it helps out a lot, just being able to talk to them and show them plays they can’t see. My eyes are up ice. They are going back in the corner. You can see a bit more. That is something I have always had.
How difficult of a balance is it to find the line between defending teammates when liberties are taken but also not getting in the way of the team, such as negating a power play? How difficult is the line to walk?
Stolarz: For me, it is a little different. As a goalie, you are not really getting in there too much.
I kind of looked up at the ref after I got run. That is kind of why I took the look. I saw his arm was up, and you know you are going on the power play in that instance. I wanted some retribution. I looked down, and he is kind of vulnerable. As a goalie, with my blocker on, you can’t get down on him while he’s on his back. Hence why I threw the net.
I looked around, and I saw the ref’s arm was up. I thought that was my opportunity to get him back there. But, as I said, he was in a vulnerable spot. I am not going to do anything stupid. Hence why I threw the net. That’s that.
Some of the other players on the team are receiving criticism for not jumping in as quickly. From their perspective, do you understand why sometimes guys are a little more reluctant?
Stolarz: At the end of the day, too, the guy is on his back. It is not the UFC. You are not going to start a ground and pound. You can’t really do much there with him.
I know the guys have my back, and I have theirs. Two games ago, Rempe put his arm on Johnny. You never know what is going to happen. I went out and put my arm on him just to let him know, “I am here, too.”
You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.
How much did your championship season in Florida make you more aware of team-bonding in this regard?
Stolarz: For me, it is why you play the game. You see a team like that, their leadership, and how it went for them last year as well. Just being able to witness that is something I want to bring to this team with the leadership role.
We have it. That is why I am so passionate. When you look around this room — with the veterans, the youth, the grit, the grind, and everything — we have those same intangibles. That is why I feel so passionately about everything. You see the similariites in both teams.
We took them to seven games last year. We were right there with the champs. We are on the cusp of doing great things. That is why I am so passionate about it; I feel we are right there, and I feel we can do it and go all the way.
How much did you learn in this regard having been around leadership groups like in Florida?
Stolarz: They have vocal leaders, and they still have a lot of people there, too. I have a much larger role on this team, so that’s why I feel a little more comfortable to do that and speak up, having had that experience.
We also have other guys. We have Roy, OEL, [Lorentz], and guys who have played in the Olympics, in the World Championships, and on the biggest stages. [Matthews] and Willy have played at 4 Nations. Everyone has played in a big game. Everyone knows what it takes to get over the hump.
For us, we are going to continue to grow as a group.
