Panthers’ Sam Bennett won’t be suspended for elbow to Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz

Florida guardant Sam Bennett volition not beryllium suspended aft hitting Toronto netminder Anthony Stolarz with his elbow successful the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 triumph implicit the Panthers successful the opening crippled of their 2nd circular NHL Playoff series.

An NHL spokesperson confirmed to Global News connected Tuesday that determination volition beryllium nary subject successful transportation to Monday night’s match-up.

Bennett skated past his erstwhile teammate astatine the midway constituent of the 2nd play and deed him with an elbow arsenic Toronto was up 3-1.

The 31-year-old goalie would stay successful the crease for respective minutes but would permission the contention and was aboriginal seen vomiting connected the seat during a TV timeout earlier exiting.

It’s being reported Stolarz was transported by paramedics to an country infirmary for further evaluation.

The referees did not measure a punishment connected the arguable Panthers forward.

“I get it, they miss calls,” Toronto Maple Leafs manager Craig Berube told reporters aft the game. “But it’s intelligibly a penalty.”

Berube wouldn’t accidental whether a suspension was called for successful transportation with the injury.

“Up to the league,” helium said astatine the time. “They’ll bash what they deliberation is necessary.”

Stolarz joined the Leafs successful the offseason arsenic a escaped cause from Florida and his erstwhile manager Paul Maurice noted that the incidental occurred close successful beforehand of the referees.

“He saw it,” Maurice said. “(I’m) hopeful for Anthony and his health. We emotion that feline and we anticipation helium gets amended existent fast.”

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On Tuesday morning, Berube told reporters his netminder had been evaluated successful infirmary Monday night, but added Stolarz was astatine the team’s signifier installation Tuesday morning. The manager said helium didn’t cognize if the 31-year-old had suffered a concussion.

He was besides uncertain astir Stolarz’s availability for Game 2 connected Wednesday night.

After Monday night’s incident, Toronto fans would boo Bennett each clip helium touched the puck, though this is not the archetypal clip helium has been progressive successful a questionable play which has knocked different subordinate retired of a crippled with injury.

There person been respective specified instances implicit the past fewer years including 1 against the Leafs successful the playoffs 2 years ago, which near guardant Matthew Knies sidelined with a concussion.

Toronto fans were expressing their outrage implicit the incidental connected societal media connected Tuesday, with galore calling for retribution..

“Well that’s surely a choice, hopefully there’s nary supplemental subject erstwhile the people gets evened up,” said @Mullin_95 connected the societal media level X. “Eye for an oculus is astir to marque the satellite blind.”

“All this means is Reaves draws successful you’d think,” @NickDiFabio1 wrote.

*With files from The Canadian Press