There was much joy in Maple Leaf Square after the John Tavares heroics. The chants of “We Want Florida” rang through the streets. Fast forward in time and those same fans are eating those words. The taste in their mouths is sour as the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the brink of elimination. But being on the brink of elimination is not the biggest storyline. It is that goalie Joseph Woll will be in the net for the Maple Leafs.
TOR coach Sheldon Keefe says Joseph Will starts Game 4 and Ilya Samsonov not available. Matt Murray is the backup
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 9, 2023
Joseph Woll Gets The Nod For Game Four
After finally exercising their demons and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2004, the Leafs face elimination. The Florida Panthers have not only upset the Presidents Trophy Boston Bruins, but can sweep Toronto. Toronto enters Game Four giving the keys to Joseph Woll. This may not seem like much, but in hindsight, it is big news.
The Goaltending Carousel
It is a shame for Ilya Samsonov. He not only had a great regular season, but was enjoying success in the playoffs. He will always be the goalie that back stopped Toronto to their first series win in 19 years. Unfortunately, a collision knocked him out of Game Three and in came Justin Woll.
The reason why this is a big deal is because of the moves Kyle Dubas made. In addition to Samsonov, Dubas acquired Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators. He was enjoying a rejuvenated season for himself until injuries came in. Murray has not played a single game these playoffs and was placed on LTIR. However, Murray is healthy but the crease is given to Woll instead.
The Season Of Woll
Joseph Woll will be the starting goalie for Game Four. He is also a very interesting goalie given his journey this season. Woll played 21 games with the Toronto Marlies and posted a 2.37 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Given the slew of injuries in the Maple Leaf crease, Woll saw time with the big club. Woll got to start in seven games this season and went 6-1 in those starts. In addition, he posted a 2.16 goals against average and .932 save percentage. Woll showed he can handle the big league level and be capable when called upon. The sample size is smaller, but Woll finished second on the team in goals saved above expected. One key area in his game that stands out is his play in the high-danger area. Woll has a .875 save percentage in that area. He earned the right for the start and what a great moment for him. It’ll be great to watch as he handles a high-pressure situation. But is this the right call?
Is This The Right Call?
Elimination games are high pressure. In addition, so is playing for Toronto and that big hockey market. Time will tell if this was the right call. However, based on performance alone, Woll deserves the opportunity. After Samsonov went down with injury, Woll was in the rest of the way. He did let in all three goals, but still kept his team in it the entire way. Murray has not played since April 2 and did not play for nearly two months. Given the rust that Murray has, it is not the ideal move to play him in an elimination game. It is just a tough pill to swallow because that was a reason for bringing him on board. Murray has been in this position before and has two Stanley Cups to go with it. Goalie Joseph Woll getting the nod is a testament to how the team feels about him. It will remain to be seen if this was the right call, but you are rooting for the young goalie to shine.
Main Photo: © Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
