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Joseph Woll reportedly furious with Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Joseph Woll was reportedly furious after being pulled by Craig Berube in the Maple Leafs' 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada.
As the Maple Leafs continue to search for answers amid a 1-7 slide in their last 8 games, the message from their head coach is clear; at the 22-game mark, it's not the time to panic.
Tensions in Toronto are reportedly very high at the moment, with some media members already publicly calling for the Leafs to replace had coach Craig Berube.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman is also reporting that there is some panic beginning to set in for the Leafs inside the locker room, which is never a good sign for a team who is looking to right the ship.
With the Leafs' usual calm, quiet confidence evaporating, we are beginning to see the cracks forming. Apparently, there was a bit of a rift beginning to show between Berube and his starting goaltender, Joseph Woll, on Saturday night after the veteran coach pulled Woll in the team's loss in Montreal.
Berube spoke with the media on Tuesday following practice and revealed that Woll was noticeably "pissed off" at him for the hook in a game that he wished to remain in. Berube also stated that he liked the fire and passion from Woll.
It wouldn't be the first time that a goalie has been upset to be getting yanked from a game, but the fact that the coach and his netminder were at least momentarily at odds during such a rough stretch of games could be something to keep an eye on if the struggles continue.
Berube has told the Toronto media in the past that he loves how Woll battles and really appreciates the competitive side of the 27-year-old goaltender.
Being a competitor means always wanting to be in the trenches with your teammates. With his coach pulling him from the battle, of course Woll would be upset.
Both Berube and Woll seem like reasonable, professional individuals, so we can trust, at least for now, that it will be business as usual going forward.
However, if a similar situation arises again this season, it will be interesting to see how they both handle it and whether or not it creates more tension between the two parties.
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