Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll better equipped to handle injury frustration

TORONTO — Joseph Woll rolls with the punches.

And the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender has dealt with his fair share of body blows.

He appeared poised to take over the No. 1 job last season until getting cut down by a high ankle sprain that cost him 2 1/2 months.

Woll wasn't at the same level when he returned, splitting duties with crease mate Ilya Samsonov before the latter was tapped on the shoulder for the club's first-round playoff series.

Then down 3-1 to the Boston Bruins in the best-of-seven matchup, Woll came off the bench and backstopped the Leafs to consecutive victories, but suffered a back injury in the dying seconds of Game 6 that ruled him out of the finale.

He had a long summer to again think about grabbing hold of one of hockey's most pressure-packed positions — the starting netminder in the sport's biggest media market — after Toronto lost Game 7 in overtime.

Anthony Stolarz, a journeyman with a solid resume, had signed in free agency, but the job appeared to be Woll's until groin tightness again sidelined him just prior to the season.

A younger version of the 2016 third-round pick might have handled yet another setback differently.

"I think now I understand there's things you can control and there's things you can't," Woll explained. "Sometimes when you get injuries like that, you can't really control much. At the end of the day, I know the work I put in, and I'm confident in that."

On the heels of an iffy debut, the 26-year-old is starting to look and feel like his old self.

Woll made 24 saves Thursday in Toronto's 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken after allowing four goals on 26 shots in a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues last week.

"A little more comfortable in my second game," he said. "Getting back into the flow of playing. I look forward to continue playing and keep finding that rhythm."

Woll, who grew up in suburban St. Louis, entered 2024-25 with a 21-13-1 record, .912 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average across 36 regular-season games to go along with appearances in seven playoff contests in an injury-stunted career since first breaking into the NHL in 2021.

He watched Stolarz put up an impressive stat line for Toronto (6-4-1) in October with a 4-2-1 mark, .916 save percentage and 2.45 GAA.

Woll said those numbers haven't added any pressure.

"You can focus on that, (but) I think it's a bit of a waste of attention," he said. "Regardless of what situation you're in, you're always going to feel a little pressure. That's what makes playing here pretty fun. I was just really happy to see (Stolarz) do as well as he did.

"It's a team sport at the end of the day. We're looking to win."

Woll's teammates have been impressed with how he's handled a string of disappointments on the physical side.

"He's had a real good approach," Leafs centre John Tavares said. "Just controlling what he can and focusing on the next day, the next opportunity, and then maximizing that."

First-year Toronto head coach Craig Berube said Woll's professionalism has stood out.

"This guy's dialled in," he said. "Very on top of what he needs to do."

Toronto winger William Nylander pointed to Woll's mental toughness.

"A lot of resilience," he said. "The work ethic is there every day. That's why he's the goalie he is."

"A test of his character," added forward Matthew Knies. "No shock to me."

Woll, however, has had his moments.

"There's a little bit of emotion and disappointment and frustration when you do get hurt," he said. "I try to allow myself to feel those things and be human for a bit … then you have to turn the page and look to what's important.

"And what gets you back."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press