Joseph Woll clears the air following altercation with Leafs head coach Craig Berube

The Toronto Maple Leafs have leaned heavily on Joseph Woll since making his return from a lengthy absence, with the 27-year-old having started the team's last 4 contests.

With Anthony Stolarz sidelined, Craig Berube has gone back to Woll every time they've taken to the ice, which played a part in why he was pulled from Saturday's contest.

The Montreal Canadiens were running away with the game after taking a 4-0 lead midway through the second period. Woll was the only reason why the score wasn't even more lopsided than it was, but Berube wanted to give him some rest, while also giving his team a jolt of energy.

Despite Berube's explanation, it didn't fly with Woll, who was reportedly very frustrated with being pulled. The 27-year-old believed the team was making good strides towards a comeback and he admittedly was having fun battling and competing.

Berube loved that level of fieriness from his starting goaltender, and considering the state of the team right now, that level of compete is exactly what could help in the locker room.

The Maple Leafs are currently mired in a losing streak that has encapsulated most of the month of November. They're also in for a tough road trip with visits to Columbus, Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida, and Carolina, that could have massive ramifications on their season.

With Woll looking sharp after having missed over a month of the season, he will be tasked with the lion's share of reps for the foreseeable future, especially if Stolarz's injury keeps him sidelined.

If Woll can continue competing and battling as he has, the Leafs should be able to change fortunes, especially once some of their injured players resume play.

Their next opportunity comes tomorrow night when they finish off their season series against Columbus, looking to avoid the sweep, after dropping their 2 earlier contests at the end of October and in the middle of November.