In a dramatic turn of events for the Maple Leafs, goaltender Anthony Stolarz was rushed to the hospital during Saturday night's warmups in Ottawa. Stolarz, who was set to start against the Senators, took a puck to the throat from teammate William Nylander and left the ice immediately. The team later announced that Stolarz was undergoing precautionary imaging, with updates to follow.
With Stolarz sidelined, Joseph Woll stepped in as the starting goaltender. This came just 24 hours after Woll was between the pipes for Toronto’s narrow 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite his recent workload, Woll was thrust back into action, and it was a challenging night.
Leafs coach Craig Berube didn’t hold back in his post-game comments about Woll’s performance. Woll faced 36 shots and allowed four goals, including a penalty shot scored by Eric Robinson and a shorthanded breakaway goal by defenseman K’Andre Miller.
Berube emphasized the need for crucial saves in key moments, saying, “He’s played well, but tonight in the end - I don’t think, I know - we need a save, whether it’s in the OT or it’s one of the breakaways. We need a big save there.”
This wasn't Woll's first back-to-back outing; he last did it while playing for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL back in March 2021. Saturday marked Woll’s sixth start in the past seven games, and since February 2, he held a record of 1-5-2 over eight games. As the Leafs navigate this stretch, they’ll be looking for Woll to step up and provide stability in the crease amidst the challenges.