Advertisement

'Just Thinking Ahead Here': Why Joseph Woll Is Getting The Start For The Maple Leafs Over Anthony Stolarz Against The Utah Hockey Club

david alter
·2 min read

For just the second time this season, Joseph Woll will get the start in consecutive games as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday.

Although Anthony Stolarz is tied for the NHL lead in save percentage among qualified goaltenders, head coach Craig Berube cited several factors for the decision to stick with Woll, who recorded a 31-save shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

"He had a real good game against Vegas and just thinking ahead here," Berube explained. "Stolie’s played a lot. He’s got some time here, he’s working in practice and doing a lot of good things, so, um, really that’s about it. We just talk about things and just make decisions on what we think is best for the goalies and the team."

Woll last played in consecutive games on Oct. 31 in a 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken, to play two days later in a 4-2 loss against his hometown St. Louis Blues.

Stolarz has appeared in 12 games this season, while Woll missed a significant portion of October due to groin tightness. Following Sunday’s game, the Leafs will visit Stolarz’s former team, the Florida Panthers, where a fresh and rested Stolarz could take the net against the team with whom he won a Stanley Cup last season.

"It’s important that we manage that (the goaltending) to the best of our abilities, and Woll’s coming off a real solid game against a real good team, and we wanted to go back with him," Berube emphasized about Sunday’s decision.

Stolarz’s .927 save percentage is tied with Utah’s Karel Vejmelka, who will start against the Leafs.

Vejmelka has a 3-1-0 record against Toronto, with a .915 save percentage, including a standout 45-save performance in a 2-1 victory on January 12, 2022, back when Utah was based in Arizona.

Woll’s numbers have improved to 4-2-0 with a .922 save percentage following Wednesday’s win. The Maple Leafs enter Sunday’s game tied for the NHL’s third-best team save percentage at .919.