The Toronto Maple Leafs struck first in their opening game against the Florida Panthers Monday night, taking the series lead with a 5-4 victory.

As Florida rallied multiple times to try to tie the game, it was clear that in playoff hockey, you have to be ready for anything to come your way. And perhaps no one felt that more than backup goalie Joseph Woll, who entered the game after Anthony Stolarz left midway with an apparent injury.

“You go from just kind of chilling, to being front line of action,” Woll said, speaking to media after Monday’s win. “Been trying to do my best to stay prepared and be ready for moments like that, because you never know what happens.”

After conceding only one goal through 30 minutes played, Stolarz exited Monday’s contest in concerning fashion, appearing to throw up on the Leafs’ bench following an elbow to the head from Panthers attacker Sam Bennett. He also took a puck to the face earlier in the contest, knocking his mask off. The 31-year-old netminder was later seen being taken out of Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher and is reportedly being evaluated at a local hospital.

It’s always scary watching your teammate go down, but Woll spoke about the dual reaction needed in his position, having to step in at a moment’s notice.

“I think it’s a mix of concern for him, to see him not doing well and figuring out what’s wrong, and at the same time being prepared to play,” Woll said, of his first thoughts when seeing Stolarz get hit.

Stepping in between the pipes for the first time this postseason, Woll finished with three goals against and an .850 SV%. Despite earning the win, it’s probably not how Woll would have liked his first ice time since April to have gone down. With the possibility of more starts on the horizon, depending on Stolarz’s status, Woll spoke about trying to keep an even head to play the way he knows he can.

“I’m not really changing much in terms of my mindset and habits,” Woll said. “I think trying to continue as best as I can to play like I’ve been playing, doing different routines, and just trying to do my best in that way, too.”

Woll split the starting job evenly with Stolarz this season, carrying an extra stretch of games when his teammate was out with an injury. The 6’3, 206 lb. goaltender finished the year with a 27-14-1 record, a 2.73 GAA, and a .909 SV%. Woll has historically been strong in the postseason, with a 4-2 record, 2.12 GAA, and a .924 SV% through 2023 and 2024. If Stolarz is unavailable for Game 2, the Leafs will hope Woll can use the extra prep time to steady himself and find his postseason form to show up against a hungry Panthers team.