Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz Returns To Ice After Injury Scare From Sam Bennett Collision

Anthony Stolarz is back on the ice, just over a week after he left Game 1 against the Florida Panthers following a Sam Bennett elbow to the head.

The 31-year-old was on the ice before the Toronto Maple Leafs' optional practice on Tuesday morning at Ford Performance Centre. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, this isn't Stolarz's first time on the ice.

"I believe Anthony Stolarz has been on the ice this week," Dreger reported. "Joe Woll was excellent in game 4, so there’s no reason to rush with Stolarz. The fact he’s back on the ice speaks to progress in recovery."

The goaltender was on the ice for at least 20 minutes, working with Maple Leafs goaltending coach Curtis Sanford.  The drills consisted of lateral movements in the butterfly and standing up.

He exited the ice shortly before the Maple Leafs' optional skate began.

Stolarz left midway through Game 1 against the Panthers, a few minutes after Bennett's elbow collided with the goaltender's head. During a TV timeout, Stolarz went over to the bench and threw up before leaving the game.

According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the goaltender was taken out of Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher after leaving the game. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed the day following that Stolarz had gone to the hospital for further evaluation.

Stolarz started in Toronto's first seven playoff games, racking up four wins and a .901 save percentage in that span. After leaving the game, Joseph Woll has come in for the Maple Leafs and put up two wins and a .893 save percentage through four games against Florida.

Toronto won the first two games at home against the Panthers, but lost the next two in Florida. They returned home on Monday with the series tied 2-2.

Stolarz was one of the NHL's top goaltenders in the regular season. He had 21 wins through 34 games, with a .926 save percentage, the best in the league for goaltenders who played more than 30 games.

This is the second time Stolarz has dealt with an injury this season. He missed nearly two months of the season, from mid-December to early February, after having surgery to remove a loose body from his knee.

Stolarz joined the Maple Leafs organization on a two-year, $5 million contract after winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last June.