The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tough spot right now, dropping four straight games while their defense keeps falling apart at the worst possible times.
Things got even messier when goalie Anthony Stolarz went down with an injury against Boston on Tuesday. He wasn’t having his best game anyway.
That’s left head coach Craig Berube with a tricky decision to make. His options? A rookie goalie in Dennis Hildeby or Joseph Woll, who’s just coming back from injury after a quick tune-up in the minors.
Berube went with Hildeby against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. The 24-year-old showed some real promise, stopping 33 of 37 shots.
But here’s the thing – throwing Hildeby into the fire as the main starter could backfire. He’s still pretty green at the NHL level, and too much pressure too soon might hurt his development.
Joseph Woll needs to be the guy right now.
He’s got the mental toughness the Leafs desperately need, and he doesn’t let bad goals shake his confidence. That’s huge for a team that’s giving up way too many odd-man rushes.
The smart play would be to make Woll the starter once he’s ready, then bring Stolarz back as the backup when he’s healthy. Just don’t overwork Woll in his first week back – no back-to-back games.
The Leafs need to help their goalies out too. They’ve got to tighten up their neutral zone coverage and make smarter first passes. Most importantly, they need to clear those shooting lanes so Woll can actually see what’s coming at him.
Even if Woll struggles at first, giving him the net sends the right message and could help reset the team’s confidence. Plus, it lets Stolarz ease back into his natural backup role when he’s ready.
