Woll stopped 36 of 37 shots for the Marlies in a 4-1 win over Laval on Friday night.
Woll stopped 36 of 37 shots for the Marlies in a 4-1 win over Laval on Friday night.
Joseph Woll played a game on Saturday night — his first game since suffering a high-ankle sprain on Dec. 7 against the Ottawa Senators — but it wasn't with the Maple Leafs.
Woll joined the Marlies for practice on Wednesday after the Maple Leafs sent him to the AHL on a conditioning loan. It's one of the final steps in recovery for the 25-year-old netminder who has been out for nearly two and a half months.
"[I'm] just continuing to get comfortable in the net," Woll said on Wednesday following his first practice with the Marlies. "It's been a bit of a road, so I'm just trying to get back up to speed with game speed and practice speed like this."
Woll got up to game speed pretty quick on Friday night in Laval.
Early on, he used his coveted athleticism to make a big stop on Laval's second shot of the game. Woll made another save a few minutes later, but the Rocket got the puck across the goal line on the following attempt.
And that was the easiest part of the game for Woll.
He would later be bumped into, fallen on, and clipped by a skate to fall onto the ice — during a game where the netminder is just attempting to feel ready to take another step in his recovery.
Aside from the physicality that he faced in this game, Woll was very sturdy in the net for the Marlies. He moved well in the crease, which is probably the most important thing for a goaltender coming off a high-ankle sprain.
Woll stopped 20 shots from Laval in the second period as the Marlies killed penalties for most of the frame. It wasn't easy, but the recovering goaltender had an eventful evening in his first game in over two months.
Woll looked positionally strong and didn't appear to have looked like he missed a large chunk of time due to an injury. He looked like himself, even in a game full of bumping and crashing.
The goaltender finished the game — stopping 36 of 37 shots — securing a massive win for not just the Marlies but himself, too, as he put forth a strong effort in his return to the crease for game action.
"It felt great," Woll told Marlies play-by-play commentator Todd Crocker after defeating Laval on Friday night.
"It's been a couple months and I've been really itching to get back in a game and it was awesome. It was great to get the win with the team here and did my best to help out the Marlies today, and I thought the guys played great in front of me, and they were protecting the paint all night, so it was good."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R15i4kNJGRg[/embed]
"He looked great," Marlies head coach John Gruden told Crocker post-game. "Very composed, had to play in traffic. It's a good test for him as far as if he's ready or not after being out for a while. It was good to see.
"I think the guys saw how hard he battles, and they've had some history with him, so I think they went that extra mile, too, to make sure he got his win, and ultimately, the team got theirs as well."
What's next for Woll?
There are two roads Toronto and Woll can go down here.
The Maple Leafs can bring him back up to the NHL when they return from their road trip, which could get him into NHL action soon. That's always possible, given how strong he played on Friday night in Laval.
That, though, is all dependent on how Woll feels.
He's also eligible to remain with the Marlies for a few more days. Woll, on a conditioning loan, can stay in the AHL until Tuesday, as the CBA states a player can remain with an AHL team for six days or three games.
The Maple Leafs can also request an extension of two more games with the Marlies, which has been done in the past by other NHL teams. Toronto, after Saturday, doesn't play until Wednesday in Cleveland, which is a ways away.
But it's either remaining in the AHL or back to the NHL for Woll. We'll likely find out the route he and the Maple Leafs take by the end of this weekend or on Monday.
Related
News from THN.com
Connor Bedard Standing Up for Himself and Not Missing a Beat
Which NHL Team Has the Superior Core Four in 2023-24?
Action Show: Do Penguins Respond After Dubas Presser? Plus NHL Betting for Feb. 22, 2024