Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll just put a ton of pressure on Anthony Stolarz
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll stood on his head against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and this is creating a bit of a problem for Anthony Stolarz.
Anthony Stolarz is injured right now, and in his absence, Joseph Woll has been playing all of the games. However, prior to the injury, Stolarz was still struggling quite a bit.
Now, Woll is doing a sensational job in his absence. While he had a hiccup on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, it is hard to deny that Woll is the only reason the Leafs are competitive right now.
Last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Woll stopped 35 of 36 shots as the Leafs ended up winning in overtime. It was a sensational performance, although one that ratchets up the pressure on Anthony Stolarz.
Joseph Woll stakes his claim over Anthony Stolarz
During a conversation between JD Bunkis and Justin Bourne after the game, it was made clear that had it been Stolarz or anyone else in net, the team would have lost.
No bones about it, if that's anyone other than Joseph Woll -if it's Hildeby, Primeau, even Stolarz this year- that's a loss.
This kind of discourse is very bad for Anthony Stolarz, who has an expensive new contract. Simply put, Woll has outplayed him. When he comes back, he'll have to match Woll's performance, otherwise, he won't get very many games.
The ideal situation is for the Leafs to have their tandem split the games like last season. Although if the gap widens between Woll and Stolarz, then Leafs head coach Craig Berube will have to make an exceptionally difficult decision.
Joseph Woll's stats continue to impress
In five games so far this season, Woll has managed a goals-against average of 2.74 and a save percentage of .921. He also has a record of 2-2-1.
When you turn aside 35 out of 36 shots in a single game, you are going to earn some praise, and rightfully so. It is clear that Woll has come to play this season, and without him, the Leafs would be lost.
Going into this weekend, the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and Saturday, which means Woll will finally get a night off.
However, if he can match last night's performance against upcoming rivals like the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes, then the Leafs are in good shape.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 27 | 410 ANSWERS Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll just put a ton of pressure on Anthony Stolarz Do you believe Joseph Woll has taken the starting goalie job from Anthony Stolarz? | ||
| YES | 349 | 85.1 % |
| NO | 61 | 14.9 % |
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