Anthony Stolarz: ‘Confidence through the roof this year'

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When the Flyers went out and drafted three goaltenders last June, Anthony Stolarz took notice.

“It’s good competition,” he said a week later. “Nothing wrong with healthy competition. For me, I have to elevate my game and step up and start producing. I want to go out this year and make a statement, an impression.”

Which is pretty much what the 22-year-old native son of Edison, N.J., has done in his second season with the Phantoms.

Stolarz has worked very hard to gain the confidence and consistency a young netminder needs on a regular basis, and it’s been reflected in a winning record, a 2.45 goals against average and .915 save percentage, not to mention an AHL All-Star appearance last week.

“The biggest things for me in growth has been my confidence, which is through the roof this year,” said Stolarz, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley on Monday to replace the injured Michal Neuvirth, who will miss at least a week to 10 days with a suspected groin pull.

“Last year, at times, I gave up two or three goals and got wary of being pulled. This year, it has been the opposite. I go out and play my game. If I give some goals, I brush it off. My mental toughness has definitely improved.”

Stolarz had a rough first year with the Phantoms, coming off evasive hip surgery, working through that, enduring a concussion, and adjusting to the rigors of the AHL schedule — three games in as many days — a far cry from junior play.

“It’s a long season and you learn you have to grind and pace yourself,” Stolarz said. “Having that one year experience last year, I can take that and use it this year.”

He studied Rob Zepp’s training habits that first season and NHL veteran Jason LaBarbera’s habits this year. How, what and when they ate. Their training and sleep regimens. Their mental preparation before and after games.

“They were great mentors for me,” Stolarz said.

At 6-foot-6, Stolarz towers over most of his teammates, both Phantoms and Flyers. When he was here last July at the club’s developmental camp, he was surprised that some first-time players wanted a word of advice from him even though he was hardly a “veteran” of even the minor leagues.

Then again, it was his fourth developmental camp, so he was sorta veteran-like.

“Me being an older guy, you want to walk around with a little bit of swagger and have young guys look up to you,” Stolarz said. “At the same time, you want to mentor them. If they have questions, help them out, help them adapt.”

Again, these were little intangibles he picked up from Zepp, who mentored him last season. It’s paid off.

“He’s come a long way since when I first got here,” Flyers starter Steve Mason said of Stolarz. “When kids are drafted, especially goaltenders, they are usually pretty raw. I think he has worked extremely hard to hone his game.

“By all accounts, he had a great year down in the American League and from what I understand, a pretty strong All-Star Game as well. That’s a credit to him. He has a ton of talent. A huge body. Which is something you can’t teach for a goaltender. I think he is probably going to have a bright future here."

Flyers goalie gurus Brady Robinson and Kim Dillabaugh worked with him this summer and in the fall on certain things and have reinforced aspects of his play he needed to follow through on during the season.

“Tracking the puck has been the biggest thing,” Stolarz said. “Seeing the puck. I’m so big, if I see it, I stop it. I’ve been able to take away angles with the puck.

“Last year, I would use my athleticism. This year, I am using a shuffle, getting across [post-to-post] and getting the center of my body over the puck instead of having to lunge for the puck.”

Stolarz said he also took something into this season that he borrowed from Zepp and used it to remind himself of his goal every day on the ice: It took Zepp 17 years to make the NHL.

“[Zepp] never gave up,” Stolarz said. “He always worked hard. He didn’t give up on his dream. When things were not going his way, he didn’t pout. He didn’t take a step back or call it quits ... and when he finally got his chance, he did fairly well.”

No one knows if Stolarz will make his NHL debut during Neuvirth’s absence, but given the Flyers just started a stretch of six games in 10 days, it would make sense for coach Dave Hakstol to spell Mason with at least one break. Mason himself is fighting what is believed to be a knee injury.

The Flyers have back-to-back games this weekend against the Rangers here and the Caps in Washington on Super Bowl Sunday.

“It was in the back of my head, but it’s up to the coaching staff,” Stolarz said. “For me, I haven’t been up here or had any real practice time with Dilly. I need to use that and take advantage of it.

“I feel ready. Having this year and playing so many games and that environment down there and going to the All-Star Game and playing against the AHL’s best players has prepared me.”

It will happen someday soon.

“I treasure every moment of this,” Stolarz said. “I can’t wait to put on this uniform for an entire season.”

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