Maple Leafs Surprise Fans With Unexpected Game Day Decision
The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Utah Hockey Club in the NHL's only game on Sunday and make a surprising decision that not many saw coming.
It's been a pretty unorthodox schedule for the Maple Leafs in the middle of November with a very sparse schedule, with only 3 games spanning across two and a half weeks.
This week, the Leafs had just two games on the schedule -- a Wednesday win over the Vegas Golden Knights, followed by a Sunday matchup with Utah.
The Leafs have relied heavily upon Anthony Stolarz to get them to where they are right now, owners of a 12-6-2 record, sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 26 points, just one ahead of the Florida Panthers.
However, when the Leafs took to the ice on Wednesday against a very game Vegas Golden Knights, it was Joseph Woll who go the nod.
Now, after a thrilling 3-0 shutout win, it would appear as though the Leafs have opted to throw Woll right back in there for Sunday's clash with Utah as well, marking back-to-back starts for the 26-year-old and a long time between games for the veteran Stolarz.
The Leafs took to the ice on Sunday morning for their usual game day skate, and Woll was not out there with the rest of the team, indicating that he'll get the nod against Utah, according to David Alter of The Hockey News.
Woll had a troubling start to his 2024-25 season, landing on injured reserve before even having played a single game after an injury flared up on him during pre-season play.
In his absence, Stolarz played remarkably well, vaulting him ahead of Woll on the depth chart for a time.
As Woll worked his way back to full health, it took a few games for him to find his rhythm, but his shutout win on Wednesday was about as good as he's ever played, which may have enticed Craig Berube and the coaching staff to go right back to him to see if he really has found his form.
The Leafs have two goaltenders absolutely rolling right now, and not knowing who to start on any given night due to the high quality of their play is a good problem to have. Yes, one guy has to sit, but it's all about healthy competition.
At the start of the year, Stolarz revealed that he was coming for a share of Woll's starts this season, viewing himself as a viable candidate to ve a starting goalie in the National Hockey League.
To this point, the pair have done well as a tandem, pushing one another to be at their best. Hopefully they continue this trend moving forward, because a team with one hot goalie can steal you a season. A team with two hot goalies can steal you a Stanley Cup.
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