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Toronto Maple Leafs make critical Joseph Woll decision after two awful performances in a row


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Alexander Cole
January 21, 2026  (11:31)
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Jan 15, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Detroit Red Wings tonight, and with Joseph Woll struggling, a hard decision had to be made going into tonight's game.

Last week against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Joseph Woll allowed six goals on 33 shots in what was a weak performance for the Leafs' netminder.
Just one game later, Woll allowed five goals on 29 shots against the Minnesota Wild. This put the Leafs in a bad spot, and it led to questions about whether or not the goalie needs to be starting.
Tonight, the Leafs are playing the Detroit Red Wings, who are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference right now. Meanwhile, the Leafs are also playing against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.
With that in mind, many have speculated that Dennis Hildeby would be the goaltender getting the call against the Red Wings.

Who is starting for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight?

As it turns out, that is not going to be the case whatsoever. Instead, Woll will be the starting goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
In fact, Craig Berube is keeping the lineup exactly the same. Whether or not this is the right strategy is something that is going to be seen very soon.
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain an interesting team, as they are just a few points out of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Meanwhile, with a goals-against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .910, there is no doubt that Woll is going to need to be better if this team wants to make it to the postseason.
It is a harsh reality, albeit one that the Leafs have been monitoring for quite some time. Ultimately, things are about to get extremely interesting.
In the meantime, fans will be eager to see how this all plays out, and if Woll will earn himself a start against the Golden Knights come Friday.
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Toronto Maple Leafs make critical Joseph Woll decision after two awful performances in a row

Do you believe Joseph Woll should be the starter against the Detroit Red Wings tonight?

YES11570.1 %
NO4929.9 %
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