Joseph Woll Pro Reads 14

What do you make of Woll’s decision to use a reverse-VH at this point?

What factors do you think matter most when making that decision?

Would you make the same choice or try something else?

What? Why?

THE SAVE

Ask yourself the same questions as you watch this play out in real time:

As good as that save was, do you see a path to making it less desperate?

Can you see any delay — and reasons for it — in Woll’s move across?

Again, what factors might go into making a different choice?

Is it where Stutzle is on the ice? Is it handedness?

THE PRO READ

Now let’s check in with Woll to get his answers to all those questions. You might be surprised to hear he too would prefer to have handled it differently.

“A lot of the desperation happens when you make a bad read,” Woll said.

So, what was that bad read in this occasion? Woll said it was the decision to go into Reverse-VH because he anticipated where Stutzle was going rather than waiting for him to get there.

“Ideally I’d like to be in an overlap,” Woll explained. “Looking back at it probably my initial read was when he was coming downhill I thought he was going to take it lower and I got into the Reverse a bit early but now that he’s creeping in, I am not at a great angle to be able to cover the backside. So, you see when he passed [the puck], I get stuck for a second and have big rotation to get back. Thank God he doesn’t one-time it. If he one times it ….”

Asked why Overlap would be more effective, Woll said it’s better for pass and shot here.

“I’d just prefer to be on my feet,” Woll said. “Be a bit more patient on Stutzle coming down, especially as he’s creeping towards the middle. That would give me a much better opportunity if he shoots it, to save it, of course, but then also this shot might hit me in the chest if I am still on my feet. There is no need for that desperation.”

As for any rules about getting the glove – or anything — into the middle of an open net because few shooters will pick a corner in that situation, something that other goalies and goalie coaches have talked about in the past, Woll wasn’t overthinking it.

“I’m just throwing whatever I got over there,” he said.

That honesty and willingness to critique himself publicly is part of what we cherish about our time with Woll in this format, and we’ve got lots more coming from our extensive video session sit down with the thoughtful Leafs goalie. In the meantime, Premium members can review his first 6 entries into Pro Reads from the first time we sat down with him 3 years ago, as well as his most recent 7, in the InGoal Premium archives by using these links: