All eyes were on Joseph Woll on Saturday night, at least in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Toronto Maple Leafs sent their backup to the Marlies for a conditioning stint, and his first start of the season came against a red-hot Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
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Woll ended up on the losing end of the 3-2 game. The hope was that he would look like the NHL backup Maple Leafs fans were used to. Instead, it’s easy to look at this game and see the work he must put in to return to the NHL.
In his defense, there wasn’t much of a defense in front of him. More importantly, Woll didn’t lose the game or cost the Marlies the victory. Instead, the game was won by the Phantoms, a team that’s won four games in a row and quietly looks like one of the best in the AHL.
Phantoms Dominated Play
The Phantoms have a surplus of prospects on their roster, and it shows. They have talent across the board and forward lines that can win any type of game. If the game gets heavy, they have Garrett Wilson and Zayde Wisdom. If it’s a scoring spree, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey can take over.
And that’s what they did. They were on the Lane Pederson line and got plenty of good looks in the second period. A Bump shot that Woll stopped landed right in front of Pederson and gave the Phantoms a 2-1 lead to fuel the 3-2 win. “He’s good at getting those sneaky shots, and it gets on goalies quick,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden noted after the game, with Bump’s shots surprising Woll and resulting in a goal. It wasn’t just that line either. The Phantoms got great looks on Woll all night, and his efforts made the game close.
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The Marlies are a good team and will be a contender by the end of the season. Their 4-3 win over the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins showed they can compete with great teams in the AHL. The Phantoms are starting to come into form and overwhelm any goaltender. The latest game saw Woll on the wrong end of things.
Marlies Ran Out of Steam
The Marlies entered the game on a three-game winning streak. They were hot but it was their third game in four days. They played the Penguins on Nov. 5, followed by the Hershey Bears on Nov. 7, before wrapping things up against the Phantoms on Nov. 8 in the second game of a back-to-back. Anyone who has traveled in Pennsylvania knows how exhausting it can be. The Marlies toured the state and were hanging by a thread by the time they faced the Phantoms.
They scored in the first period, and they added a late goal to make the game close. Otherwise, they looked like a fatigued team that couldn’t keep up with a high-flying Phantoms group. It left Woll in a tough spot since his first start of the season came with a team in front of him that couldn’t help him out.
Woll had the deck stacked against him against the Phantoms. It’s why the three goals, which were disappointing to surrender, can’t be blamed on him. To be a great goaltender, he needs a great defense, and he didn’t have one in the latest game, certainly not the one that showed up the night before against the Bears.
Woll Played The Puck Well
It’s worth noting that Woll faced 24 shots in 36 minutes. The workload got to a point where Marlies head coach John Gruden pulled him and allowed Vyacheslav Peksa to finish the game. Woll is on a conditioning stint and easing his way back, and this start was far from that as he was thrown into the fire.
It’s why Woll, for the most part, looked like the backup the Maple Leafs are accustomed to. The recent game was his first of the season, and he looked sharp and made plenty of big saves. It’s something the Marlies can build on while the Maple Leafs look forward to his return.
How The Maple Leafs Should Approach Woll’s AHL Stint
Woll didn’t look rusty, which is a big plus. At the same time, the Marlies, and by default, the Maple Leafs, must be patient. Even with a strong start, there’s a good chance Woll remains in the AHL for a few more starts, just to acclimate to the position and the speed of the game.
The Maple Leafs need a backup for Anthony Stolarz, who is starting an overwhelming number of games. His latest start, one where he allowed four goals on 11 shots, was his 12th of the season. This team is overworking its starting goaltenders. That said, the Maple Leafs need a good backup, and Woll isn’t there yet.
Will will be at that point after a few starts. The Marlies have three more road games with two morning starts (yes, the AHL starts games at 11 AM sometimes for the kids) but then the schedule is easier. The Marlies host the Iowa Wild on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, providing them with two games to show what Woll has got, which is a lot.
