Leafs goalie Stolarz completes full practice for first time since injury  

The Maple Leafs practised at the Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday. 

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Anthony Stolarz participated in a full practice for the first time since being forced from the Leafs lineup due to a knee injury.

"Just taking it day by day right now," the 31-year-old goalie said. "Kind of sucks, obviously, not playing. And we were playing pretty well when I went down. So, just to be able to get back out there, be able to practice with the guys again, be around the group, it's been a lot of fun so far."

Stolarz insists he does not have a specific return date in mind yet.

Craig Berube is hoping Stolarz is able to get back in before the 4 Nations Face-Off break starts on Feb. 8.

"He's been very positive about everything," Toronto's head coach said. "He's been in a good frame of mind with it all."

The Leafs have five games remaining before the break, including Wednesday when the Minnesota Wild visit Scotiabank Arena. 

The knee is feeling good so the key for Stolarz right now is improving his conditioning and getting back into game shape.

"It's a little different for a goalie," Stolarz noted. "It's more timing, screens, traffic, just being able to read plays, so just trying to make the most of every rep I get in there. [Goalie coach] Curtis [Sanford] and I have been working before practice, after practice, on little things just to try and get back up to speed here ... There's no cardio like playing hockey in a real, 60-minute game, especially as a goalie."

Stolarz hasn't played since leaving a game against the Anaheim Ducks early on Dec. 12. He underwent a procedure to remove a loose piece of cartilage or bone that was stuck behind his knee on Dec. 18.

"I just felt something, a little pebble that kind of got lodged back there," Stolarz explained in his first media session since sustaining the injury. "It's just something that's been there for a while. We've known about it and it just kind of moved into the bad spot."

When he met the media in mid-December, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving anticipated the recovery period would last around four to six weeks. The six-week mark arrives on Wednesday.

Stolarz, who has long yearned for the chance to be the go-to guy on an NHL team, was in the middle of a breakthrough season when the injury occurred. His .927 save percentage in 17 games continues to lead the NHL.

"He's been playing very, very well for us when he's been in the net," said winger Mitch Marner, who also played with Stolarz in the Ontario Hockey League. "Unfortunate time to get an injury. He's a guy that battles through adversity well. He's been taking care of himself and wants to get back on the ice to help his team win games. It was good to see him out there for the full praccy today, and he brings a good vibe and mood out there too."

Stolarz backed up Sergei Bobrovsky during the Florida Panthers run to the Stanley Cup last season. In the summer, he signed a two-year deal with Toronto in the hopes of earning more playing time. His career high in the NHL so far is 28 games.

Stolarz is no stranger to injury adversity with multiple knee injuries already under his belt. The New Jersey native did not play in the NHL during the 2017-18 season.

"I've dealt with it before so that's kind of helped out," Stolarz said. "But it's just one of those things you can't control and it is what it is. Now it's up to me to get back up to par with where I was before."

"He's played a long time now and he knows what his body needs," said defenceman Chris Tanev. "Obviously works extremely hard so whenever he's available for us it will be great. [Joseph Woll] has been incredible for us too, but maybe give him a little break when Stollie gets back."

Woll has carried the load with Stolarz sidelined, but has already set a career high in games played this season at 26.

"He's made a number of timely saves," Stolarz said. "Acrobatic saves at the right time to either keep us in a game or hold onto the lead. So, you know, just the way he's been able to go in night in and night out and be able to put up solid numbers and keep the team in the game ... He's done a fantastic job."

Dennis Hildeby and the recently recalled Matt Murray have pitched in as well.

"We're still in first place in the Atlantic," Stolarz noted. "So anytime you're first place, it's usually a good thing."

The Leafs lead the Panthers, who have played one more game, by one point in the race for top spot.

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Matthew Knies skated alongside the team's other injured players on Tuesday. The top-line winger is set to miss a second straight game due to an upper-body injury sustained last week against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"He's close," Berube said. "It's improving every day. He's doing more and more. I thought I might see him in our practice a little bit, but that was not the case today."

With Knies out, Bobby McMann filled in beside Auston Matthews and Marner on the top line and scored Toronto's only goal on Saturday in Ottawa. McMann also led the team with seven shots on net against the Senators.

McMann remained on the top line at Tuesday's practice.

"He's easy to play with," Marner said. "He's obviously very quick, very mobile on the ice. He gets pucks on and off his stick very quickly, finds quiet ice, works extremely hard to get pucks back as well and he's got a sneaky stick. He steals a lot of pucks and gets on the forecheck and that's something Auston and I love."

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The Leafs forward group will get a boost on Wednesday as Max Pacioretty is set to return to the lineup. He's been out since taking a Matthews shot to the side head during a game on Jan. 18.

"It's life," he said. "You go to the net, you're going to get hit."

The team described it as an "upper-body injury."

Pacioretty managed to finish the game in Montreal.

"I was pretty grumpy the rest of the game, that's for sure," he said. "But I wasn't talking or eating for a little bit, but I feel good now."

The team and Pacioretty have taken a cautious approach since then.

"It's not one of those things where I just felt terrible," the veteran winger said. "It's just one of those where, you know, given the circumstances, it's better to be smart right now and make sure that when I do return, I feel 100 per cent. And I think that's kind of the goal and why they've put a lot of emphasis on, you know, those injuries and protection of the players. So, yeah, I mean, I just wanted to get back to feeling confident. I feel confident right now."

Pacioretty practised on the third line beside Fraser Minten and Nick Robertson and on the top power-play unit as the net-front presence.

Pacioretty's return will help spark an attack, which has produced two just goals in the last two games.

"Ottawa game, you know, we had the puck a lot in the offensive zone," Berube noted. "Did a lot of good things, but still need to generate some second and third chances around the net a little bit more and some greasy goals. We didn't do enough of that in that game. But, you know, offence kind of comes and goes throughout the year. You just got to keep digging in. We got to keep playing good defence, keep checking. I think we're doing a real good job of that. And, you know, our O-zone time's gone up lately, and that's important, too, because now we're not playing in our own zone. But we got to generate more when we're in there."

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With Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo bowing out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Team Canada is suddenly in need of another defensive-minded, right-shot rearguard. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that Tanev is in the conversation.

"Whatever happens, happens," the no-nonsense 35-year-old said. "I'm just focused on in here right now and setting ourselves up the last five games before the break happens. It's a big part of the season for us, sort of can slingshot us into a good position coming out of the break and into the end of February."

Has Hockey Canada been in touch about the possibility of being an injury replacement?

"I've talked to [Treliving] and stuff about it," Tanev revealed. "But, like I said, it's not really what I'm focused on. The day-to-day stuff here is extremely important to me and ... to be in a good spot going into this break I think it's really important."

Marner will be on Team Canada and raved about Tanev's impact this season.

"He means a lot to this team," Marner said. "Overall, just the calmness he brings on the ice with the puck, but obviously what he does defensively, plays against the top people every night, usually starts in the D-zone. He's always up for the challenge. Eats a lot of pucks, as well, something you appreciate."

Tanev is third in the NHL in blocked shots. He last represented Canada at the 2016 World Championship.

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The Leafs fell 2-1 on Saturday despite playing in front of a crowd full of Leafs fans in Ottawa.

"I didn't realize how well-travelled we would be in Ottawa," Tanev said. "It was amazing to see. It was a really good atmosphere."

The Leafs will be playing back home on Wednesday. The last time they played inside Scotiabank Arena, Matthews chided the crowd for its response to a first-period fight by Ryan Reaves. 

"Would've liked a little more energy from the crowd after that," Matthews said. "It was a little quiet tonight especially after two guys like that go at it."

What did Marner think?

"Reavo's a great player," said Marner. "He does a lot on the ice to make impacts on the game. Fighting is one of his things and that was his first one of the year or maybe second. And it was a helluva tilt. I think everyone would agree probably one of the best that has happened in a while. I know we were all really fired up, but we just wanted to feel that energy from the crowd. I think we felt it a little bit, but we wanted to keep it going throughout the periods and maybe it dropped off a little bit."

Would Marner like to see his hometown team look into creating a supporters section or examine different ways to generate energy?

"That's up to them, I guess," the alternate captain said of management. "We just go out there and we want to win hockey games and try to entertain our fans and get a great reaction out of them. That's all we're trying to do every game."

The Leafs are 19-10-0 at home this season. Only the Winnipeg Jets have won more games on home ice this season.

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  The Wild lead the NHL in road wins (18-5-3) but will be playing without Kirill Kaprizov. The team's leading scorer will miss at least four weeks due to a lower-body injury, which requires surgery, general manager Bill Guerin announced on Tuesday.

"They're a good team that has played well without him this year and won a bunch of games," Berube pointed out. "He is a great player and we all know that, but they've got a good team with a lot of good players. They play with a good team structure to their game. It is not going to be easy game, whether he is in or out. It doesn't change our attitude — or it shouldn't, anyway."

The news regarding Kaprizov's surgery broke just as the Leafs met the media.

"He's an amazing player," Tanev said. "He's one of those guys that can take over games and sort of control the game with his pace and his skill and how physical he plays. He's a strong guy, great skater, so obviously prepare like he's playing because he's a helluva player."

The Leafs held Kaprizov off the scoresheet during a 2-1 overtime loss in Minnesota on Nov. 3.

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The Leafs held a scrimmage as part of Tuesday's practice.

"Been off a few days," Berube said. "I just like to get the guys back into that mode a little bit of just playing the game. So I always try to do that once in a while when we have time."

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Lines at Tuesday's practice:

McMann - Matthews - Marner

Domi - Holmberg - Nylander

Pacioretty - Minten - Robertson

Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves

Grebenkin

Rielly - McCabe

Ekman-Larsson - Tanev

Benoit - Myers

Hakanpää - Timmins

Woll

Murray

Stolarz

Power play units at Tuesday's practice:

QB: Marner

Flanks: Matthews, Nylander

Bumper: McMann

Net front: Pacioretty

QB: Rielly

Flanks: Ekman-Larsson, Domi

Bumper: Robertson

Net front: Minten