Maple Leafs suffer crushing blow as Joseph Woll injured with Stolarz already sidelined

The injury bug simply refuses to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs alone. The latest blow came tonight, as Joseph Woll exited with a lower-body injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

It's a brutal development for a goalie who's been nothing short of outstanding. After missing the start of the season due to personal reasons, the 27-year-old returned with a vengeance, posting a .924 save percentage through his first seven games.

Woll has been the Leafs' backbone in every appearance this year. He's kept them competitive, stolen points they had no business earning, and provided the kind of stability the team desperately needed.

Toronto was finally showing signs of life after a miserable start. Momentum was building. Confidence was returning. And Woll was at the center of it.

Now, with him sidelined, the Leafs will be forced to turn to Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov, two talented but largely untested options at the NHL level.

This is the last thing the Leafs needed. Another bad stretch could bury them in the standings, especially with the Atlantic Division still wide open but unforgiving.

Toronto is likely now hoping Anthony Stolarz can return quickly to stop the bleeding. Without proven NHL goaltending, the Leafs' already fragile season could unravel fast.

Woll's injury doesn't just hurt -- it threatens to derail the entire campaign.