Leafs prepared to lean on Woll after Stolarz injury: 'We all have all the faith in the world in Joe'
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It only took until midway through the second period of the first game, and the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers has already presented its first wrinkle.
The Maple Leafs are confident this wrinkle can be a blessing in disguise.
Toronto knocked off the defending-champion Panthers 5-4 at Scotiabank Arena, but lost top goaltender Anthony Stolarz to an apparent injury in the second frame.
Joseph Woll entered the game in relief with a 4-1 lead and, despite a bumpy start, guided Toronto to a victory through a chaotic final period.
“You go from kind of chilling to being in the front line of action,” Woll said after the game. “I’ve been trying to do my best and stay prepared and be ready for moments like this.”
It was Woll's first game action since April 17, as Stolarz got the start in net in every game of the first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. Woll played in 42 games in the regular season, with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Stolarz appeared to be injured as a result of a hit to the head from Panthers forward Sam Bennett early in the second period. He was slow to get up, but stayed in the game briefly before appearing to vomit on the bench during a TV timeout.
That prompted Leafs head coach Craig Berube to make the change as Stolarz was taken to the locker room before eventually leaving the arena on a stretcher and being taken to a nearby hospital.
“You kind of feel a mix of things, between concern for him and getting ready to play yourself,” Woll said. “I mean, when you see your teammate go down like that, I mean, it’s not good when you see him go down on the ice or when he’s not feeling good coming to the bench.
“You know, these guys are trying to create a family atmosphere here in [the dressing room]. So, it’s just like one of my family members.”
Woll turned away 17 of 20 shots he faced in 29:46 of ice time, and with Stolarz' status unknown at this point, the Leafs are preparing to ride Woll through the rest of the series.
“We all have all the faith in the world in Joe,” defenseman Morgan Rielly - who scored a goal in the victory - said. “You don’t want to see anyone leave the game, but we have faith and depth in our guys. I thought Joe came in and played well.”
“It’s no shock to the guys in the locker room how he can step in and bring us a win,” forward Matthew Knies said. “I mean, he’s been an incredible goalie for us. He’s stepped up every time we’ve asked him to. He’s done a great job, and it’s not shocking to me at all.”
One thing Woll noted he is prepared for is Florida's penchant to stuff the front of the net with traffic. Woll was knocked to the ice when Panthers defenceman Evan Rodrigues appeared to get tangled with a Maple Leafs defenceman in the third period.
Bennett also scored a goal to draw the Panthers within one late in the game when a puck took a bounce off a stick in front of the crowded net and skipped over Woll's shoulder.
“I expect those things in playoffs,” Woll said of the traffic in the crease. “I think every team makes a point to crash the net. And my job is to stop pucks, not to get into anything like that.
“So, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Game 2 of the series goes Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena. This is the second time the two teams have met in the second round of the playoffs in the last three seasons. Florida eliminated the Maple Leafs in five games in 2023.