Maple Leafs’ Joseph Woll makes 36 saves, records win for Marlies in AHL start

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60). (Nick Wass/AP)

Joseph Woll‘s conditioning stint is off to a solid start.

Playing in his first game since Dec. 7, when he suffered a high-ankle sprain, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender was in net Friday for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

Facing the Laval Rocket on the road, Woll stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced, helping the team to a 4-1 victory. The 25-year-old was well tested throughout the game as Laval received nine power-play opportunities.

“Felt great. It’s been a couple months, and I’ve been really itching to get back in the game,” Woll said after the win. “It was awesome; it was great to the win with the team here. I did my best to help out the Marlies today, and I thought the guys played great in front of me. They protected the paint all night.”

Prior to his injury, Woll had seized the No. 1 goaltender job for Toronto, overtaking the then-struggling Ilya Samsonov.

Across 15 appearances for the Leafs this season, he has an 8-5-1 record, along with a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

Woll resumed practising with the Maple Leafs on Feb. 12. The team then assigned him to the Marlies on Wednesday — likely for a short stint based on Friday’s performance.

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