Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz is in the spotlight tonight after he hacked at Devils forward Evan Rodrigues.
The Devils and Maple Leafs were still playing in the third period as this went up. Stolarz could face a fine for the play, and similar plays have drawn fines before.
Rodrigues is a Toronto native, so this one happened in front of his hometown crowd. The 33-year-old has 3 goals and 4 assists in 17 games this season, and he scored in New Jersey's overtime win at the Islanders on Saturday.
Stolarz isn't a goalie who goes looking for trouble. He has just 6 penalty minutes over 174 career games, which is why a swing like this stands out. Earlier this week we covered Anthony Stolarz's reset this season, when he said he went back to his old self.
The temperature in the building makes some sense. Toronto came in at 8-8-2 and had lost two straight, including Saturday's 4-2 loss to Montreal. New Jersey arrived at 12-5-0 and had won four in a row.
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Will Stolarz be fined for the hack on Rodrigues?
It should cost him money. A goalie swinging his stick at a skater is the kind of play the league tends to notice, and precedent is on the side of a fine.
We don't have a ruling, and the league's decision is separate from anything that happened on the ice in the moment. Until it comes, this stays a "could."
Stolarz was already in the pregame conversation, since David Alter reported he would debut Stolarz's Hometown Remix gear tonight. Now the night will be remembered for something else.
Both teams are back in action Tuesday, the Devils at Winnipeg and the Maple Leafs hosting Colorado. We'll keep tabs on whether the league acts before then.
Quick hits
CALGARY FLAMES: Joel Farabee haunted his old team with a shorthanded goal tonight, tying the Flames and Flyers 3-3 at the Saddledome. Revenge games rarely come with a shorty attached.
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ANAHEIM DUCKS: Jackson LaCombe tied the Ducks franchise record with an assist streak of 10 games tonight. He now sits next to Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, which is about as good as company gets in Anaheim.
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Pro Hockey Rumors reports the Blackhawks appear set to change backup goalie again, one day after the 9-2 loss in Carolina. That result won't make the decision hard.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: WiebesWorld says Erik Cernak left the ice in discomfort to his left leg during the Jets' power play in the third period tonight. Watch for an update on the Lightning defenseman.
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PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: The Penguins posted their lines for tonight in Anaheim, and Ville Koivunen is out of the group after a lower-body injury. The forward group gets reshuffled as a result.
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Should the NHL fine Anthony Stolarz for hacking at Evan Rodrigues?
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