Maple Leafs Make Goaltending Decision For Game 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination in Game 4, avoiding the sweep at the hands of the Florida Panthers behind the goaltending of backup Joseph Woll. Now head coach Sheldon Keefe has made a decision on his Game 5 starter, and it's no surprise, with the Leafs continuing to have their backs against the proverbial wall, that he's going back to Woll.

Joseph Woll will start Game 5, per Sheldon Keefe.

Ilya Samsonov (upper-body injury) remains unavailable.#leafs

— Joshua Clipperton (@JClipperton_CP) May 11, 2023

The decision was made easy for Keefe, not only because of the solid performance of Woll (and the entire team in front of him), but also due to the fact that regular starter Ilya Samsonov simply isn't ready yet. 

Sheldon Keefe says Ilya Samsonov hasn’t skated since sustaining an upper body injury in Game 3

“As of right now, it’s Joe Woll and Matt Murray that are available … it will be Joe again [in Game 5] at this point” @TSN_Edge

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 11, 2023

The coach added that Samsonov hasn't even skated since suffering the injury. 

Matt Murray—a two-time Stanley Cup winner—will be the backup. He hasn't played in an NHL game in nearly six weeks. 

As for Woll, all he's done is play well anytime the Leafs have called on him this season. He recorded 24 saves on 25 shots in the 2-1 win in Game 4, his first playoff start. And with that, he became only the eighth rookie goaltender in NHL history to earn a win in his first playoff start in an elimination game. 

In seven regular season games this year, Woll posted a 6-1 record with a 2.16 goals against and a .932 save percentage. 

Photo: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports