'He's The Perfect Human': Joseph Woll To Start For Maple Leafs Against Friend Jake Oettinger And Dallas Stars

For the second time this season and just the second time in their respective careers, close friends Joseph Woll and Jake Oettinger will play in goal against each other with the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Dallas Stars at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.

Woll and Oettinger squared off for the first time in the NHL against each other earlier this season. Woll's Leafs got the better Oettinger's Stars this season in a 5-3 victory back on December 18.

Oettinger has been impressed with how far along Woll has come in his career thus far.

"I think just his patience, he's so athletic, but like he's not, you know, a foot outside the crease. He stays back and reads the play really well," Oettinger said of Woll. "I think nowadays how skilled the league is. And guys it feels like are turning down great looks to, you know, make an extra pass. So you have to be back a little bit just to read the play. And when I started trying to do that more, I watched a lot of him because he does that really well."

Related: ‘He Was Our Best Player Tonight’: Joseph Woll Lifts Maple Leafs Past Stars, Outshines Former Teammate Jake Oettinger In First Matchup

With Anthony Stolarz out of the lineup following a knee procedure, the Leafs have relied heavily on Woll for more starts in goal. He is 14-7-0 this season with a .912 save percentage.

Woll and Oettinger were collegiate rivals and with Woll attending Boston College and Oettinger going to Boston University. They remained friends in the same city back then and to this day, meeting up for dinner on Monday the night before their NHL rematch.

Oettinger is just impressed with how far along Woll has come.

"He's just a perfect human," Oettinger said. "I really looked up at him a lot when I was at the program. Hockey wasn't as serious for me as it was for him. And just the way he takes care of the body. You know, all the little stuff that he does. There's a lot of stuff that I'm in the locker room. So, I still continue to learn from him."

The Maple Leafs have defeated the Stars in their last seven contests dating back to March 15, 2022.

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