Panthers ready to face trio of ex-teammates in series against Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz were all members of the Panthers during their Stanley Cup run last season. Now, they don blue and white as the two teams are set to clash in the second round of the playoffs.
Some familiar faces will be awaiting the Florida Panthers in Toronto for Game 1.
Maple Leafs Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz were all members of the Panthers during their Stanley Cup run last season.
Now, they don blue and white as the two teams are set to clash in the second round of the playoffs.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said he is “happy” for his former troops.
“Those guys were a big part of it. That story gets to endure in our locker room for the men that played, so they still are a big part of that story and I’m happy they’ve been able to find a place where their opportunity and their input to the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs is really important,” Maurice said on Friday.
Stolarz went from backing up Sergei Bobrovsky and appearing in just one game throughout the Panthers’ Cup run to starting all six games for the Maple Leafs in their opening-round win over the Ottawa Senators.
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The 31-year-old started a career-high 34 regular-season games with the Leafs, posting a .926 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average.
Stolarz has spoken about how he learned from Bobrovsky during the playoffs.
“We had a good relationship, that’s true,” Bobrovsky said. “It was a good partnership as well last year. It’s going to be good. It’s going to be fun. He’s a good goalie.”
Like Stolarz and Lorentz, Ekman-Larsson spent just one season in Sunrise, Fla. But unlike them, the veteran played a prominent role on the blue line, skating in all 24 playoff games last season while notching two goals and four assists.
The Swedish defenceman already has two goals in his first post-season run with the Maple Leafs.
Lorentz, the Kitchener, Ont., native and longtime Maple Leafs fan, appeared in 16 playoff games with the Panthers, recording one goal and two assists.
He was held off the score sheet against the Senators.
“Oliver Ekman-Larsson had established his career long before he came to us and was a big part of our success last year,” Maurice said. “But both those men (Lorentz and Stolarz) are at a new level, a new opportunity for them with Toronto and they’ve made the most of it. They’ve played very, very well.”
Live coverage of the entire Maple Leafs-Panthers series will be available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. The winner will face whoever emerges from the Metropolitan Division bracket, either the Carolina Hurricanes or Washington Capitals, in the East final.
