Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll was the hero of the night in their 2-0 shutout victory in Game 6 of the playoff series against the Florida Panthers. The 26-year-old made 22 saves during the game on Friday, May 16, to record his first career shutout in a postseason game. Woll and the Maple Leafs have now taken the second-round series to Game 7, which will be played in front of their home fans at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday, May 18.
Joseph Woll Opens Up About Leafs’ Clutch Shootout Win
Speaking with reporters after the game, Woll did not hold back in sharing his feelings about the game.
“Just from my vantage point, I think we just did a great job of playing the way we knew how to play,” Woll said via thehockeynews.com. “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 has stepped up between the sticks for Toronto after starting goalie Anthony Stolarz was concussed after taking an elbow to the head during Game 1 of the current series. He let in five goals during the 6-1 blowout loss in Game 5, sparking concerns that the Maple Leafs were about to be eliminated. Instead, they have rallied to force a final decider against the current Stanley Cup holders.
With Stolarz still not fully fit, Woll is set to take the crease for Game 7 on Sunday, May 18. This will be Woll’s first Game 7 start with Toronto; the netminder was forced to miss last season’s Game 7 in Toronto’s playoff series against the Boston Bruins, having suffered a sprained back.
“It sucked not being able to play last year for sure,” Woll said. “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.”
Woll’s grit was praised by his fellow players and NHL insiders. Former Maple Leaf and sports commentator Paul Bissonnette even broke into an off-key rendition of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”, replacing the lyric “wonder wall” with “Joseph Woll”, during a panel session on TNT.
"After all… You're my Joseph Woll" 🎵
Oas-biz with a beautiful song parody 🤣 @BizNasty2point0 pic.twitter.com/4qQswJ12nM
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce)
Toronto captain Auston Matthews and forward Max Pacioretty were on the scoresheet for the Maple Leafs on Friday. Matthews praised Woll’s performance on the night, calling it “gutsy.”
