HC Craig Berube, Auston Matthews & Anthony Stolarz make thoughts known about Joseph Woll’s return after long absence

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night but there was a bright spot amid the loss as goaltender Joseph Woll is officially set to rejoin the team following a month-long personal absence.

Head coach Craig Berube and several players spoke warmly about Woll’s return after the game.

“We’re so happy to have him back,” said Berube. “You know, really looking forward to it.”

Auston Matthews, who scored one of Toronto’s three goals in the defeat, echoed that sentiment.

“Means a lot,” Matthews said. “He’s a big part of our team, so we’re very happy to hear that he’s back.”

Starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz who has carried most of the workload during Woll’s absence, said the return of his fellow netminder could provide a lift to the dressing room.

“It could be a huge spark, could give us a little energy,” Stolarz remarked. “Just seeing his face around the room is going to be exciting.”

Woll had been away from the team since Sep. 23 for personal reasons. The Leafs confirmed earlier on Friday that he had resumed on-ice activities and would begin his “return-to-play” process though no official date has been set for his first start. He remains on long-term injured reserve and is eligible to return to game action in early November.

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Maple Leafs suffer yet another loss in Joseph Woll’s absence

On the ice, Toronto got off to a strong start but couldn’t keep momentum. William Nylander responded quickly to an early Sabres goal scoring just 23 seconds after Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring in the first period. Matthews later tied the game 2-2 with a one-timer on the power play from the right circle while Dakota Joshua scored his first goal as a Leaf early in the third period.

Despite those efforts, Buffalo capitalized on several defensive lapses and counter-attacks. Samuelsson recorded the first multi-goal game of his NHL career while Tage Thompson added another in the second period to put Buffalo ahead 4-2.

The decisive blow came late in regulation when Alex Tuch buried a short-handed breakaway with just over three minutes remaining, sealing the Sabres 5-3 victory. Alex Lyon made 31 saves in goal for Buffalo, while Anthony Stolarz turned aside 25 shots for Toronto.

Nylander left the game late in the third period after an apparent cross-check and did not return. The extent of his injury remains unclear for now.

With the loss, the Maple Leafs fell to 3-4-1 on the season without Joseph Woll and currently sit fifth in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres meanwhile, leapfrogged Toronto in the standings with their fourth win in five games.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno