NHL News: Maple Leafs’ William Nylander addresses Anthony Stolarz’s post-game outburst after Auston Matthews’ reaction

After a tense weekend in Toronto, Auston Matthews addressed the situation with goaltender Anthony Stolarz, speaking openly about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ frustrations and the incidents that occurred during the game. William Nylander later shared his perspective on the situation, emphasizing that the team has handled it internally and is moving forward.

Saturday night was a challenging one for Stolarz, who expressed his frustrations after being run into twice and reacting to the team’s slow start. The tension reached a peak in overtime when Nylander had a defensive lapse that led to the game-winning goal by Josh Mahura.

“I think there’s some frustration, maybe a little bit in the locker room. We know we can play better. I think our game’s been growing, and we’re still; what are we, 3-2-1 or something? So, it is what it is, but we’re a tight-knit group, and we’ll move forward from here,” Nylander said.

Team moving forward together

Nylander emphasized that the team’s frustration is directed inward rather than toward each other. The Maple Leafs decided to hold a closed-door meeting to ensure everyone was on the same page, and according to Nylander, the issue has been resolved.

Both Nylander and Stolarz echoed the sentiments of Craig Berube, who noted that while ideally frustration would remain private, the team has addressed it constructively. The Maple Leafs are now focused on building cohesion and preparing for upcoming games, including a challenging matchup against the New Jersey Devils.

A work in progress for Toronto

Despite the rocky start, Toronto’s roster shows promise as the team continues to gel. Nylander highlighted that patience is key for this newly formed squad. However, the team cannot afford further lapses if it hopes to maintain momentum, especially following the city’s celebration of the Blue Jays’ World Series berth.