May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6893767d-8cba-4fdd-a79d-faacdbc21f36.jpeg] May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Joseph Woll stood tall for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the biggest game of his NHL career. The 26-year-old, in a do-or-die Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, stopped all 22 shots [https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/fla-vs-tor/2025/05/16/2024030216] to help force Game 7 in Toronto on Sunday night. It's Woll's first-career shutout in the playoffs, and it did not go unnoticed by his teammates. "We know that team is extremely hard to beat and they don’t give you much, so when we needed Joe, he was there for us big time tonight," Mitch Marner said. It's been fascinating to watch Woll navigate this stretch of games after re-entering the lineup following Sam Bennett's elbow to the head of Anthony Stolarz [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/not-there-yet-maple-leafs-craig-berube-all-but-confirms-anthony-stolarz-is-unavailable-for-game-5-timetable-for-return-remains-uncertain] in Game 1. Woll allowed five goals on 25 shots in Game 5, yet he and the entire team found a way to bounce back two nights later. "Just from my vantage point, I think we just did a great job of playing the way we knew how to play," Woll said. "I think the biggest thing I saw was guys putting their body on the line, especially in the last couple of minutes. A ton of blocked shots, a couple of times, two or three guys in front of me, laying down to eat the pucks. I think that's the biggest thing I can say from my vantage point." Woll, like most of the team, now enters unfamiliar territory: Game 7, in Toronto. The goaltender appeared in three games against the Boston Bruins in the first round last spring. Woll was slated to start in Game 7 for Toronto, but he suffered a sprained back [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7V9OHc_f4M] after Morgan Geekie's goal in the dying moments of Game 6. Over a year later, and he's getting his shot. For real this time [https://x.com/MapleLeafs/status/1923574546445054315]. "It sucked not being able to play last year for sure," said Woll after his Game 6 shutout win over Florida. "I think it's just a pretty special opportunity for our team. I think we feel good going in and we know our process and just going to take that through." It won't be easy. It's been an incredibly difficult series the while way through. But if there's any confidence to fall back on, it's that Woll has played strong and made huge saves during the season's most important moments. "Just so much composure," Max Pacioretty said, defining Woll's Game 6 shutout [https://x.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1923568033630499176]. "We talked about how he came into this situation in a really tough position. I had spoken; I know many people probably had spoken about the work that he puts in, and that’s why guys like that tend to get rewarded." ‘Nice Little Ring To It’: Joseph Woll All Smiles Over ‘Wonderwall’ Remix Created By Maple Leafs Fans [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9dcded5f-1459-4659-a202-218bb6ce2ca9.jpeg] ‘Nice Little Ring To It’: Joseph Woll All Smiles Over ‘Wonderwall’ Remix Created By Maple Leafs Fans Yes, he’s heard it. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/nice-little-ring-to-it-joseph-woll-all-smiles-over-wonderwall-remix-created-by-maple-leafs-fans] Statistically, Woll and Sergei Bobrovsky are now neck-and-neck in this series [https://www.nhl.com/stats/goalies?reportType=game&dateFrom=2025-05-05&dateTo=2025-05-16&gameType=3&sort=wins,savePct&page=0&pageSize=50]. Woll has an .893 save percentage in the series, while Bobrovsky has an .895 save percentage. Going into Game 7, the two goaltenders will hold all the cards. It will be Woll, who's played 13 games in the playoffs, in a duel with Stanley Cup Champion and two-time Vezina Trophy-winner Bobrovsky down at the other end. The story can't get much better than this. And Woll's teammates? They're expecting another big game from him on Sunday in Toronto. "That's what he's done all year for us," Marner said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
