Marner on ice ahead of optional skate for Maple Leafs
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Mitch Marner, who is celebrating his birthday, was on the ice ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs optional skate on Monday morning.
Marner and his wife Stephanie welcomed their first child on Sunday, and Marner missed the team's practice as a result.
The Maple Leafs knocked off the Ottawa Senators in six games in the first round, with Marner chipping in with a goal and seven assists. His eight points ranked second on the team behind William Nylander (nine).
Toronto is preparing to open the second round of the playoffs against the Florida Panthers on Monday night.
The Maple Leafs are riding a league-best nine-year playoff berth streak, but had advanced to the second round just one time (2023) prior to this year. They played the Panthers in the second round of the playoffs that year as well, getting dispatched in five games after losing the first three of the series.
Stolarz set to start vs. former team
Anthony Stolarz occupied the home net in the Maple Leafs' optional practice on Monday, and is projected to start the first game of the series against Florida.
Stolarz is one of three members of this year's Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup as a member of the Panthers a year ago - he appeared in one game in net during the playoffs for Florida in that run.
Stolarz started all six games for Toronto against the Senators, turning away 128 of 142 shots for a .901 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average.
The eighth-year veteran set a career high in games (34) this season with the Maple Leafs, also picking up career bests in wins (21) and save percentage with a minimum of 10 games played (.926).
Florida Panthers lineups are set
The Panthers skated the following lines in their practice session on Monday morning:
Verhaeghe-Barkov-Reinhart
Rodrigues-Bennett-Tkachuk
Luostarinen-Lundell-Marchand
Greer-Sturm-Boqvist
Forsling-Jones
Mikkola-Kulikov
Balinskis-Schmidt
Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt shared the team lead in goals scored in their 4-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning with three goals apiece.
Sam Reinhart led with six points in the first round.