Joseph Woll is in line to start against his hometown team (Credit: IMAGN)
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has confirmed that Joseph Woll will start in goal against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Woll, who grew up near St. Louis in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, will make his first NHL appearance in his hometown.
This game marks Woll’s third start of the season and his second consecutive appearance in net. On Thursday, he had a strong performance, stopping 24 of 25 shots in the 4-1 Seattle Kraken win. Woll shared his excitement about playing in St. Louis, saying he looks forward to seeing family and friends there.
“It’s where I grew up so a lot of good memories, a lot of family and friends there,” Woll said per The Hockey News. “I’m just looking forward to being able to go there and see them and play there so it will be good.”
St. Louis has averaged 2.55 goals per game over 11 games, which could give Woll a favorable matchup. Last season, Woll faced the Blues in his NHL debut, making 22 saves in a 5-1 loss.
In other lineup news, Ryan Reaves will return to the ice, and Nick Robertson will likely be a healthy scratch. The Maple Leafs hope to build on their recent success as they take on St. Louis with Joseph Woll in goal.
Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Seattle Kraken 4-1 with Joseph Woll in net
The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena, showing solid teamwork and control.
Matthew Knies scored the first goal just before the end of the first period. Auston Matthews won a face-off, took a blocked shot, and then passed to Mitch Marner, who found Knies for the tap-in.
In the second period, William Nylander extended Toronto’s lead to 2-0 by finishing a cross-slot pass from Morgan Rielly. Nylander then scored again at 9:24, thanks to a well-placed spinning pass from John Tavares. Tavares’s assist continued his point streak to six games.
Seattle’s Eeli Tolvanen got one goal back in the third period during a 6-on-5 play with their goalie pulled. But Matthews sealed the game by scoring into an empty net with a smart bank shot from his blue line, making it 4-1.
Joseph Woll was critical in net for the Leafs, stopping 24 shots. After the game, he praised his teammates for limiting Seattle’s scoring chances, saying they made important defensive plays. Woll’s solid performance helped Toronto secure their second straight win.
