The Philadelphia Flyers might have just clawed their way to a 3-2 overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, earning a single loser point, but do not get it twisted: without Joseph Woll, this team would be staring down a full-blown crisis after just two games. It’s wild to say after watching them get absolutely throttled, but Woll was the one man who kept them from completely sinking.
Woll Was The Only One Who Showed Up
Let’s be real, the Flyers came out of their season opener looking like they were playing with cinderblocks tied to their skates. A brutal 7-0 shutout loss to their archrival? Yikes. You’d think they’d come out blazing 24 hours later against the Devils, proving that first game was a fluke, right? Nope. They looked like the same exact mess, porous defensively and completely disconnected offensively. But here’s the thing: Joseph Woll, making his first official start for the Flyers after coming over in an offseason trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, played out of his mind.
This 28-year-old goalie was brought in to be an upgrade on Sam Ersson and give Dan Vladar some relief, but he just showed us he might be something way more. Woll faced a ridiculous 44 shots through regulation and overtime and stopped 41 of them. Think about that for a second. Without him, it’s another blowout, another zero points. He faced 12 high-danger scoring chances and allowed only one goal, which was the overtime winner. Seriously, he was perfect: 7-for-7 on high-danger chances at 5-on-5 and a flawless 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. He was shutting down shots that most goalies would wave into the net.
That Jesper Bratt Robbery Was Insane
Speaking of shutting down shots, you HAVE to see the save he made while killing a penalty in the third period. It was a straight-up “Save of the Season” contender that kept the game tied. Woll absolutely robbed Jesper Bratt from getting his first goal of the season with a hyperathletic deflection. It wasn’t some flashy glove save, it was pure, precise mechanics to keep that puck out. He just wiped away what looked like a sure goal.
Woll’s heroics saved the Flyers from a total zero-point disaster to start the season, bagging them a loser point, but it’s clear the team around him has some serious work to do. They lost the shot battle big time in their opener, and even with Woll making unreal saves, the defensive holes and offensive silence are glaring. He’s proven he can be a brick wall, but they can’t rely on him to bail them out every single night if they want to turn this early slide around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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