The MVP of the Toronto Maple Leafs season has recently suffered an injury.
No, I’m referring to rookie goalie Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs, not William Nylander, Mitch Marner, or Auston Matthews.
Martin Jones had to complete the task after Woll, who had been playing like Dominik Hasek for the majority of the game, sustained a leg injury in the third period.
In any case, the season has been entertaining to watch thus far, and the Leafs will try to move up the Atlantic Division standings when they play the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Although Woll’s return date is unknown as of this writing, it appears that he will be absent for at least a few weeks.
Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season has been incredibly uneven thus far, Woll’s strong play has helped them maintain a strong position in the standings.
As previously mentioned, Joseph Woll began the season as the Leafs’ MVP.
Although Auston Matthews has scored a lot of goals this season, he has been far too inconsistent to be the Leafs’ best player and frequently skips games.
Although Mitch Marner, like Matthews, has been far too inconsistent this season, Marner has recently improved (5 points in his last 3 games). And even William Nylander, who did score in the previous game despite his scoring pace having significantly decreased since his season-opening extended point streak.
This season, Woll has made more appearances on the field than any other Leaf, by far. Ottawa’s game last night is a prime example. The Leafs surrendered far too many grade-A opportunities and were careless and slow. Woll stopped 29 out of 31 shots prior to his injury, and the Leafs would undoubtedly lose without his outstanding play.
To be fair, Woll has struggled occasionally this season and is far from flawless.
However, no goalie is ever flawless, and can you really blame Woll for a few rough games given the Leafs’ defensive performance this season?
The recent Stanley Cup champions, such as Jordan Binnington, Andrei Vasilevski, and Aiden Hill, have all triumphed thanks to their dominant goalies.
This season, Woll has made the most appearances for the Leafs on the field—by far. The most recent matchup with Ottawa is a prime example. The Leafs were slow, careless, and they gave up far too many excellent opportunities. Before his injury, Woll stopped 29 out of 31 shots. The Leafs will definitely lose without him playing well.
To be fair, Woll has had some inconsistent performances this season and is far from flawless.
However, no goalie is flawless, and considering the Leafs’ defensive performance this year, is it really fair to hold Woll accountable for a few poor outings?
Jordan Binnington, Andrei Vasilevski, and Aiden Hill are just a few of the recent Stanley Cup winners who have prevailed thanks to strong goaltending.
