The Toronto Maple Leafs are on fire now. With what followed on ice during Game 1— Anthony Stolarz leaving the ice after sustaining an injury at 10:14 of the second period—Joseph Woll knew he had to do it one more time. Hence, another nail-biting 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the playoff series and the Leafs now lead the series with 2-0. Despite the Panthers’ tying it 3-3 at a point, Mitch Marner’s puck didn’t miss hitting the net and silencing the chaos. Well, let’s admit that the Leafs aren’t just playing this time but proving themselves as a team, ever ready to pounce.
But the win wasn’t the only thing that fascinated the Leafs’ head coach. Rather Joseph Woll’s charm that he carried in Game 2 after a remarkable performance in the team’s 5-4 victory over the Panthers! “It’s something I had to focus on and come up with a plan to stay ready as well as I can,” Woll said after the Leafs won Game 1. After all, the goalie owned his night, which made Craig Berube go on and praise him.
After the Maple Leafs stole the spotlight, Berube stepped in to throw it on the deserving one. Speaking to the media in the post-game interview, he put it simply yet straight: “Very calm and cool in net.” Ask for a detailed breakdown, and he won’t have it! After all, staying calm under pressure was what made Woll deliver his best! 25 saves in Game 2, and the Panthers failed to make any hit beyond those three!
And what makes it more special yet relatable is the type of heat that the Panthers carry with themselves. Despite their readiness to ignite the fire with their aggressive plays and scores, the Toronto Maple Leafs prepared pretty well to handle it all. “The pucks are coming to the net all the time with playing Florida, so he was on his toes and, you know, very fighting through traffic and, um, making the saves that are needed,” Berube further stated while highlighting exactly how relentless the squad is, especially with players like Anton Lundell, Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand. After all, with such offensive pressure, perhaps he wants Woll to be alert every single second, especially with Anthony Stolarz being injured!
In that moment, Joseph Woll’s heroics became Toronto’s avenging blow for Stolarz’s premature exit—proof that the Leafs wouldn’t let one injury go unanswered on their home ice.
To say that it is a comeback of the young star would be an understatement. Because, after Stolarz was hospitalized and left the game midway, the Leafs faced the ultimate pressure! And Woll, with his immediate show up as the goalie, didn’t just save those 17 shots but made his presence like a true warrior! For him it’s a challenge that made him say—“It’s a different challenge than playing every night but a challenge nonetheless. I think I’ve done what I needed to do to prepare to be in this spot.” However, despite all the wins and stunning performances delivered, what still concerns the NHL community is the return of Stolarz in the rest of the games.
When is Anthony Stolarz returning to the ice?
Stolarz confirmed his no-show in Game 2 of the playoff series. And his absence was something that made Woll take over the starter’s net during the morning skate. While fans and spectators anticipated his return in game 2, it didn’t happen. Was the hit so hard? “Vomiting after a headache of that magnitude is at least concussion,” the Toronto-based neurosurgeon declared. After all, what Bennett did was nothing exceptional with the kind of history he has for all such controversial plays. And to our surprise, it just took a total of 7 minutes and 26 seconds into the second period for things to take a brutal turn! The one that left the goalie in trouble and pain.
However, Berube did address the media after his discharge that he’s doing well, but only after confirming that he isn’t returning soon. And in case you think Woll is handling it so well, why do we want Anthony Stolarz back? Think again. Because you don’t want to be losing your best playoff reset! Because Stolarz currently has a score of 4-2 with a .901 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average in seven playoff games. And that shows what kind of prowess he can prove on ice.
And with that lingers another question now—will he be returning in Game 3? While only time can have the answer, one thing remains certain—the Leafs aren’t going to get affected much because they have been doing exceptionally well so far. With Woll perfectly leading the position and the rest of the squad delivering their best, it looks like Toronto isn’t far away from that long-awaited Stanley Cup dream. Perhaps just another game, another save, and yet another win could define it all!
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