The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman has struggled through his first 13 games of the season. Head coach Sheldon Keefe says the player is injured and working through some things. The Toronto Maple Leafs have had an odd schedule up until recently. With a pair of games in Sweden with lengthy breaks before and after, followed by games on consecutive nights on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins, the club hasn't had to put one goaltender over the other. But now that the team is at home, the Leafs have clearly made their choice with Joseph Woll for the time being. The rookie goaltender will make his third consecutive start between the pipes for the first time this season. It follows an excellent performance where he made 38 saves in a 2-1 shootout victory against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, "He hasn’t had a dip in either of these two games," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said about the goalie's previous two starts. "It’s two good ones in a row and we’re starting to get into a bit of a rhythm now. It just makes that decision somewhat easy." Ilya Samsonov started the season as the club's No. 1 goaltender. But he has struggled to put together the consistent performance that allowed him to earn that role coming out of his first season with the Leafs in 2022-23. "I think if you take out the two Tampa games, I had good starts," Samsonov told The Hockey News. Samsonov is 4-1-3 in 10 games this season with an .878 this season. Now that the Leafs have been home, they've allowed performance to dictate more of the decision making and that's how Keefe has reasoned making the call as to which goaltender starts. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFHKTLLxB9Y[/embed] "To me it was just solely going off of last weekend. We liked Woll’s game better and for that reason we went with him (on Tuesday against Florida). "That’s really it and that’s the message throughout the team. If you want to play more, play better." Keefe also explained that goaltending coach Curtis Sanford is the one who usually breaks the news to the goaltender as to which one starts. "I rarely break the news to the goalie," Keefe said. "If it’s something extreme or something that needs my perspective on it I’ll spend time and explain it to them." Woll is 7-5-0 this season with a .916 save percentage. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEwoSc-zvtE[/embed] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related Why the Maple Leafs Changed up Their Defense Pairings Ahead of Game vs. Kraken, Lineups, Where to Watch [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-the-maple-leafs-changed-up-their-defense-pairings-ahead-of-game-vs-kraken-lineups-where-to-watch] 'He's Not Close Yet': Maple Leafs' Mark Giordano Out Week-to-Week With a Broken Finger Injury, Timothy Liljegren (Ankle) Begins Skating [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-mark-giordano-out-week-to-week-with-a-broken-finger-injury-timothy-liljegren-ankle-begins-skating] 'I Had To Remind Him That I'd Be Coming Out For Overtime': Ryan Reaves Talked Himself Out Of Serving Bench Minor Penalty Against Florida [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/i-had-to-remind-him-that-id-be-coming-out-for-overtime-ryan-reaves-talked-himself-out-of-serving-bench-minor-penalty-against-florida] News from THN.com Detroit Red Wings and Patrick Kane Join Forces To Chase Past Success [https://thehockeynews.com/news/detroit-red-wings-and-patrick-kane-join-forces-to-chase-past-success] Arizona Coyotes Looking To Bolster Their Roster [https://thehockeynews.com/news/arizona-coyotes-looking-to-bolster-their-roster] NHL All-Star Weekend: Player Draft, PWHL Showcase Among Plans for 2024 Toronto Event [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-all-star-weekend-player-draft-pwhl-showcase-among-plans-for-2024-toronto-event]
