The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a solid run the last couple of weeks. They ended a 4-1 road trip, returning home on Saturday night. The 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens was disappointing, but a huge improvement over the 5-2 Toronto suffered in its last game against the Habs.
That being said, Dennis Hildeby had a good game against Montreal. He was sharp when he needed to, keeping the Maple Leafs in the game. Thus far, he’s provided stability in the crease. That’s something Toronto will need as they look to get back into a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs’ original goaltending tandem hasn’t been a tandem at all. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have alternated time away from the ice, with both Stolarz and Woll on the shelf at the moment.
But an update by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston provides some encouragement. Johnston quoted Craig Berube on Woll’s status, stating:
"He'll be a week. Hopefully ... We're not expecting it to be too long."
Craig Berube, on Joseph Woll's lower-body injury: "He'll be a week. Hopefully. ... We're not expecting it to be too long."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 6, 2025
If that’s the case, Woll’s departure from last Thursday’s game in Carolina might be more of a rest issue than anything else. The news is more than welcome, especially since Stolarz is nowhere close to returning.
Mark Masters reported earlier this week, stating that Stolarz hasn’t even skated. That’s no bueno, particularly since there’s no word on what Stolarz’s injury is or how severe it might be.
Craig Berube says Anthony Stolarz still hasn't skated since sustaining an upper-body injury on Nov. 11@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 5, 2025
Maple Leafs must roll with Woll-Hildeby tandem while Stolarz is out
Moving forward, the Toronto Maple Leafs must roll with a Woll-Hildeby tandem. One of the prevailing comments is that Joseph Woll can’t handle an exceptionally strong workload. So, rolling with a tandem moving forward is a no-brainer.
Fortunately, Hildeby has shown that he can handle himself at the NHL level. As a result, there’s no reason why Hildeby shouldn’t get his fair share of the starts moving forward. The Maple Leafs have a relatively light week coming up. They play on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and then are off until Thursday when they face the San Jose Sharks.
After Saturday night’s big showdown against the Oilers next Saturday night, the Leafs will play four games in six nights. Hopefully, Woll will be ready by then. At that point, alternative Woll and Hildeby between starts could be the perfect opportunity to avoid overworking one goalie.
Considering the Maple Leafs will face tough teams in the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars, having a chance to win each of those games will be crucial. Since the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings seem to be fading, the Leafs have a great opportunity to get back into the Atlantic Division playoff race.