Watch: Anthony Stolarz pulls off an incredible save with his bare hand
During Friday's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz made an unbelievable bare hand save to deny the Red Wings a goal.
The incredible stop happened in the third period when Stolarz lost control of his stick as Detroit was trying to shoot a goal. Stolarz instinctively lunged forward without a moment to spare and managed to grab the puck with his hand before it could slip past the goal line.
Watch the video here:
Video replays show Stolarz scrambled back desperately to grab the puck. The crowd erupted after witnessing the unbelievable save.
Toronto ended up winning the match against Detroit with a score of 3-1, where John Tavares scored two goals and Mitch Marner added one. Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings. Anthony Stolarcz made 21 saves for Toronto, while Cam Talbot made 17 saves for Detroit in their defeat.
Fans react to Anthony Stolarz's bare hand save
Hockey fans were amazed by the Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz's incredible bare hand save during a game against the Detroit Red Wings. The video of the save quickly went viral online.
Fans took to social media to react to the stunning save. Many were impressed by Anthony Stolarz's quick reflexes and willingness to put his body on the line.
One fan tweeted:
"Can’t remember the last time I saw anything like that."
Another fan expressed concern:
"So glad a skate didn't cut him."
Here are some fan reactions:
"Could you imagine this amounted to closed hand on the puck in the crease!?" one fan wrote on X.
"Always freaks me out when the goalie loses his glove, not for safety reasons but because it reminds me there’s a person inside the goalie costume" another fan wrote.
"Plays goal as if his life depends on it if the puck goes in. Stolarz is a beauty. Fights for everything." a user commented.
"Up until this moment it was one of the most nonchalant games I've ever seen." another user wrote.
The Toronto Maple Leafs next face off against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Meanwhile, Detroit faces the New York Rangers on the same day.