RALEIGH, N.C. — Just as they find some tangible traction, earn a dose of hope, and — whoa, what’s this? — mount a legitimate win streak, the Toronto Maple Leafs are dealt another blow.
A familiar surprise.
More crossed fingers and unknown timelines.
Joseph Woll turned in another busy and stellar performance Thursday in Carolina and was full value for a 5-1 victory — his club’s third convincing regulation win in a row.
But the Leafs’ only No. 1 goaltender standing left his crease after 40 minutes due to a lower-body injury, apparently suffered when he stretched out his right pad to block a Logan Stankoven tip late in the second period.
Woll shook out his left leg after his latest elastic save and remained in the game, but yielded his net to backup Dennis Hildeby to start the third.
Coach Craig Berube said he did not know the severity of the injury-prone Woll’s latest “lower-body” injury and that the goaltender would need further examination Friday in Toronto.
Woll, 27, was seen walking around post-game without crutches or any support. Make of that what you will.
Considering Toronto’s other No. 1 goalie, Anthony Stolarz, has not so much as skated since Nov. 11 and has not made any meaningful progress since going down with his undisclosed injury, concern over Woll’s availability should be high.
“Yeah, it sucks. Obviously, he’s kind of been the backbone of our team for this road trip, carrying us through it all. And you don’t want to see him go down like that,” friend Matthew Knies said.
“You never want to see that. We’re all hoping it’s nothing too serious,” added captain Auston Matthews. “He’s somebody that looks after himself extremely well, puts a lot into his craft. So, we’re obviously hoping for all the best there.”
Desperate to make ground in the crowded Eastern Conference standings, the Maple Leafs admittedly overworked Stolarz out the gate, when Woll was absent due to personal reasons.
Woll’s return to action was well-timed with Stolarz going down, and the tandem mates picked each other up this season, like they did last season — though they’ve never dressed in the same game.
But Toronto once again put too much work on the shoulders of a goaltender whose body has never proven capable of such a heavy load.
Thursday marked Woll’s eighth start in nine games.
This after being away from the team for a month.
This while standing behind an injury-ravaged defence that spends too much time in their own zone and gives up too many cross-seam chances.
But, hey, the coach needs wins.
“He’s been rolling good when he’s feeling good. So, when you communicate with him and how he’s feeling, where he’s at from a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint, that was a pretty easy decision,” Berube said pre-game of going back to his best chance at two points.
Prospect Hildeby has exclusively played in relief and on the second half of back-to-backs.
That trend ends Saturday versus Montreal, which could signal the beginning of Hildeby as Toronto’s best goalie available.
“Beast came in and was unbelievable for us. I mean, they’re a high-shot-volume team, and they get guys to the net, and he handled it with a lot of confidence, made some big saves for us,” Matthews said.
“He’s naturally a quiet guy, but he fits right in. And he’s got his Swedish buddies there, and they all kind of take care of each other, and it’s great. But you could just see he’s got a quiet confidence to him anytime he steps in the net. He knows what he’s doing in there.”
Hildeby, we’ll remind, wasn’t supposed to be in the show this season.
The organization went to great lengths (remember James Reimer and Cayden Primeau?) to allow the prospect to develop his skills in the AHL.
But here we are.
The Leafs are pumping Hildeby’s tires in hopes he can keep the 18-wheeler between the lines.
“Just practising against him, it’s almost impossible to score with how big it is. So, I’m pretty confident that opposing teams are going to have the same trouble,” Knies said.
“And he’s played in some hard situations, coming in halfway through a game multiple times now, and stepped up. So, full confidence in him.”
A softspoken giant, Hildeby says he’s a “calmer” goalie, both in movement and mindset, than last season. And his .919 save percentage would support that.
He, like Woll, played a key role in Toronto’s ability to grind out a 4-1 road trip and fly home with a split-roller packed half with confidence and half with concern.
So, are these red-hot Maple Leafs with the ice-cold goalie luck prepared to keep things rolling with Hildeby as their temporary backbone if Woll is sidelined long-term?
“You always got to be ready,” Hildeby said.
“Just to do the best you can and just enjoy the moment — if that’s the case.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• Troy Stecher skated a team-high 24:23.
The waiver gem has played a minimum of 23:52 in each of the Leafs’ past three games, all regulation wins. He’s a plus-8(!) over that span while facing the opposition’s top lines.
• Ex-Leaf Frederik Andersen, 36, has now lost six straight starts and eight of his past nine.
He let in Toronto’s first shot — off the post and off the back of his leg, by Bobby McMann — and got mock-cheered by the home crowd when he blocked a dribbler trickling toward his crease. By the time he gave up four on Toronto’s first 13 shots, prompting locals to chant for backup Brandon “Bus-si!”
Andersen is operating with a career-worst 3.15 goals-against average and .875 save percentage. Yikes.
He’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
• The Leafs have now scored on their first shot in four consecutive games. Insane.
But that’s not a record. The Tampa Bay Lightning accomplished the same feat in November 2021.
“It’s good for the confidence, and on the bench it’s good for the energy, the momentum, everything,” Knies said. “I think they got a little bit flat after those goals. It just gave us a lot of energy. So, we’ll look forward to doing that every game.”
• Shout out to colleague and road warrior David Alter, that diligent documenter of line rushes and scourer of seat upgrades.
The beat reporter covered his 400th consecutive Maple Leafs game in-person Thursday.
And while Alter’s hotly debated Media Meal Power Rankings raise a paper plateful of questions, the man’s dedication to his craft cannot be questioned.
He is the undisputed ironman of the beat. Eat your heart out, Phil Kessel.
• Matias Maccelli has now been scratched five games total and four of the past five, a $3.425-million playmaker falling firmly out of favour.
“He knows that he’s got to be better. And I put him in the Washington game — wasn’t a lot there,” Berube said. “He struggled in that game, and we won the last couple, so I’m not going to change the lineup.”
To his credit, Maccelli dutifully sports a Blue Jays cap in the press box. He still puts on for the city.
