Woll staking claim to Maple Leafs’ crease

TORONTO – Joseph Woll has come off the bench for the Maple Leafs the last two playoffs.

The goaltender is making a case to get the opening-night nod this spring.

Woll put in a third straight solid performance Wednesday, stopping 38-of-39 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

“Doesn’t really matter what’s going on the game,” said Toronto captain Auston Matthews, who scored for the fourth time in the last three contests. “He could be playing good, he could be playing bad … always got the same attitude, the same mentality, approaches things the same every night.

“He’s extremely focused.”

Woll was pressed into service with the Leafs down 3-0 in the second round of the 2023 playoffs against the Florida Panthers. He kept his team alive in Game 4 before Toronto was eliminated in overtime in Game 5.

The St. Louis native came on again in last spring’s opening round against the Boston Bruins — this time with Toronto down 3-1 in the series — and picked up consecutive victories before suffering a back injury in the dying seconds of Game 6. Ilya Samsonov played the winner-take-all finale, which the Leafs again lost in OT.

Woll has split time with off-season acquisition Anthony Stolarz in 2024-25, but is making his case to be in the crease for Game 1 next month following a trio of starts that’s seen him block 92 of the last 98 shots he’s faced. Stolarz, meanwhile, has allowed three or more goals in each of his last three appearances.

“It’s nice to play a lot,” said the 26-year-old Woll. “It’s easier to get in that rhythm and that groove. When you’re playing, you’re not really thinking. I just try to do my job when I’m called upon.

“I’ll continue to do that.”

Woll, who has had some iffy nights this season, improved to 24-12-0 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average with one shutout.

He had to be especially sharp late in Wednesday’s second period when Colorado pumped nine straight attempts his way, including Nathan MacKinnon on the doorstep.

And after Steven Lorentz gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead on a strange short-handed goal early in the third, Woll was again there to rob Brock Nelson with a huge glove stop in the slot.

“His resiliency is huge,” Lorentz said. “We broke down a few times and we had some shifts where we couldn’t get the puck out of our end. He was there to back us up.”

The gritty winger added that helps the group breathe in its own zone.

“Allows you to play a little bit more aggressive,” he said. “That (defensive) aggression, if you channel that the right way, leads to offence.”

Toronto (41-24-3) has 13 games remaining on its schedule — including Thursday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers — as the club continues to jockey with the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who will eventually have to make a call between the post-season pipes, has liked what he’s seen from Woll.

“Played excellent,” he said. “The last three games, he’s been really good … we’ll figure all that out.”

WACKY BOUNCE

Toronto pushed ahead 2-1 at 2:53 of the third on a strange sequence.

An attempted clear on the penalty kill by Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit hit referee Kelly Sutherland at centre, which in turn created an unlikely rush that ended with Lorentz ripping a shot past Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.

“Thought I might as well reroute and try and go get a shot,” Lorentz said. “I was fortunate enough to pick a corner and the rest is history.

“It seems like I’ve had a few bounces go the other way this year. We’ll take that one.”

SETTLING IN

Charlie Coyle was one of Colorado’s key additions ahead of the NHL trade deadline in a deal with the Boston Bruins.

The veteran centre has been impressed by the Avalanche top to bottom since arriving in Denver.

“Everyone’s dialed in and really committed,” Coyle said. “I think that’s why they’re at the calibre they play every year and why management goes all-in with this team. There’s no guessing where we stand or where we can get to. It’s just kind of known.

“That’s what we strive to do every day.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.

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