The Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. The Maple Leafs ended up beating the Hurricanes 5-1, but it came at the cost of losing their number one goalie, Joseph Woll, with a lower-body injury during the second period. The Toronto Maple Leafs have started to turn their season around, as this was their third win in a row, improving to a record of 13-11-3.
Joseph Woll Adds to List of Maple Leafs Injuries
The Leafs have had no shortage of injury trouble to begin this season. Woll missed time early in the season due to personal reasons. Superstars Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies have also missed time. Starting netminder Anthony Stolarz has missed time as of late, having not skated since November 11th. Shutdown defenceman Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev remain out of the lineup with no clear timeline.
Severity of the Injury
After the win, head coach Craig Berube told the media he wasn’t sure of the severity of the injury yet. The Maple Leafs head back to Toronto for an off day before heading to Montreal Saturday night. Berube and the Leafs are hopeful it’s not serious. Woll has been the backbone of the Maple Leafs’ resurgence to start December. Since returning from his personal leave, Woll has been Toronto’s best and most effective player. When the Maple Leafs have struggled, Woll has been able to steal a game or keep them in the game.
What this Means Going Forward
If the Maple Leafs receive unfortunate news and Joseph Woll is forced to miss time due to injury. The Leafs will have to rely on Dennis Hildeby. In seven matchups for the Leafs this season, Hildeby has one win, a goals against average of 2.86, and a save percentage of .919. Those numbers have been strong for the Leafs, and this could be someone the Leafs could trust while Woll is gone.
The Maple Leafs have yet to have their tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll together this season. Last season, they were an extremely effective duo leading the Leafs to an Atlantic Division title. For the Maple Leafs to continue their push for playoff hockey, they will need them both to be healthy and playing to the best of their abilities.
Main photo by: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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