The panic meter shot through the roof on Thursday night in Carolina when Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll did not return to the ice for the third period. Fortunately, Dennis Hildeby held the fort and held the Hurricanes to just one goal.
While the 5-1 win was certainly fantastic, it did little to quiet the alarms in Leafs Nation. The warning signs went off with the same frenzy as the air sirens did during WWII London. The panic is justified as Anthony Stolarz remains on the shelf with no clear timeline for return. That situation, compounded with Woll’s absence, means that Hildeby is now the guy.
There’s nothing wrong with Hildeby being “the guy.” But what should send Maple Leafs fans running for their stress tabs is the fact that there’s no one after Hildeby. That being said, the most frustrating part is that the Maple Leafs’ goalies just can’t stay healthy.
That’s something insider Elliotte Friedman hinted at in the latest edition of his 32 Thoughts Podcast. During the show, Friedman discussed the injury situations befalling Vancouver Canucks star Thatcher Demko and Chicago Blackhawks veteran netminder Laurent Brossoit. Demko is currently out, while Brossoit is just now returning to the ice after missing an entire season with an injury.
Friedman drilled down on the situation, referring specifically to overcompensating for injuries. In other words, goalies allow other parts of their bodies to work unnecessarily harder to make up for a weaker or injured body part. That has affected Demko and Brossoit, and it could be what has afflicted Woll this season.
Friedman stated:
“One of the things people are talking about with Demko is, is he compensating for some of the problems he has, and is he hurting other parts of his body. And with Brossoit, that’s exactly what people think happened. He had some injuries, and people thought he was compensating with other parts of his body. So, you always worry with goalies here that, is that what happens to them?”
Friedman concluded the point by stating:
“I mean, you just hope that it’s not the case for him (Woll), that he doesn’t need that, long road back, and has been doing a great job. But you can tell they (the Maple Leafs) were concerned.”
Check out Friedman’s comments from the 32:30 mark onwards.
Maple Leafs riding with Hildeby, Akhtyamov in Joseph Woll’s absence
The Maple Leafs have Friday off as they return home following their road trip. Barring the loss in Washington, Toronto had a fantastic trip, going 4-1.
Now, the Buds are set to face the Montreal Canadiens at home on Saturday night. The clear choice to start will be Dennis Hildeby. However, his backup raises some questions. The club will likely recall Artur Akhtyamov to back up Hildeby against the Habs.
The situation may not seem the most encouraging. As long as the Maple Leafs play a solid game in front of Hildeby, like they’ve done with Joseph Woll, the club should have a chance to win. The last time the Maple Leafs faced the Habs, Toronto was embarrassed 5-2. However, the Canadiens have cooled off since then. They are 4-5-1 in their last 10 and have faced tough losses against the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators.
So, there could be a chance for the Maple Leafs to get revenge on their archrivals while the club hopes to get positive news regarding Joseph Woll’s injuries.