The Toronto Maple Leafs saw a familiar face back at practice Friday.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was participating in practice with the team for the first time since suffering a knee injury last month.
Stolarz had knee surgery following discomfort and difficulty straightening his leg because of a loose body — a small piece of broken-off bone or cartilage.
Prior to his return to practice, Stolarz had been doing work with the coaching and training staff on his own before the team would take to the ice. He did not stay with the team during line rushes with recently recalled Matt Murray also with the team at practice.
The 30-year-old Stolarz was off to a strong start in his first season with the Maple Leafs with a 9-5-2 record, 2.15 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and one shutout.
Forward Matthews Knies was absent from practice after suffering an upper-body injury during the Leafs’ loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
With less than three minutes to go in the second frame and the Leafs trailing 3-0, Knies appeared to go in for a hit on Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko but ended up getting the worst of it. The 22-year-old got tangled up during the collision and landed awkwardly.
Knies did not return for the third period and Nick Robertson got bumped up into his spot on the top line.
The second-round pick from 2021 has 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists) through 46 appearances in 2024-25. He’s yet to miss a game for Toronto this season.
With Knies absent, the Leafs shuffled their lines at practice.
McMann-Matthews-Marner
Domi-Holmberg-Nylander
Lorentz-Kampf-Robertson
Quillan-Minten-Reaves
Rielly-McCabe
Ekman-Larssson-Tanev
Benoit-Myers
Woll-Murray
Skating as extras: Hakanpaa-Timmins
Connor Dewar also skated with the extras before departing as practice began.
Toronto will travel to the nation’s capital to face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. Watch on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ at 7 p.m. ET.
from Sportsnet.ca
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