Former Maple Leafs Goalie Joseph Woll Can't Seem to Catch a

Some hockey players you keep an eye on even after they leave your team. Joseph Woll is probably one of them for a few Maple Leafs fans. Woll had his moments in Toronto, and at one point he looked like he might be the answer to the team's goaltending questions. Now he's trying to find his footing with the Philadelphia Flyers, and things haven't exactly gone according to plan.

On Thursday, Woll stopped 25 shots in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. The Flyers held a 2-1 lead with about six minutes left in the third period. Then things unravelled. New York scored twice late, and Philadelphia walked away with nothing. One goal came on the power play, but both were shots Woll had a pretty good look at. That's going to leave a goaltender thinking about what might have been. That's going to leave a goaltender thinking about what might have been.

Woll Is Still Looking for Consistency.

The numbers haven't been particularly kind to the former Maple Leafs netminder. In nine appearances, Woll has just one win, a 3.12 goals-against average, and an .898 save percentage. He's also sharing the crease with Dan Vladar, which means he's not getting the kind of uninterrupted run that can help a goaltender settle into a rhythm.

That's an interesting part of this story. Goaltenders are a little different from most players. Sometimes they need a stretch of regular starts to get comfortable, build confidence, and work through the occasional bad night. A timeshare can make that harder.

Of course, the other side of that argument is that a goaltender has to earn those starts. When the team is fighting for points, coaches can't simply keep sending someone out there and hope things turn around.

Many Toronto Fans Are Still Pulling for Woll.

Maple Leafs fans probably feel a little sympathy for Woll. He didn’t always stay healthy in Toronto, but when he played well, he showed plenty of ability. Nobody should forget that. Philadelphia is a different situation, with different expectations and a different team in front of him. It's still too early to decide what kind of goaltender Woll will become in Philadelphia.

For now, he'd probably settle for a few more wins and some consistency between the pipes. And for those Toronto fans still keeping an eye on their former goaltender, there's reason to hope he finds his game. Sometimes a change of scenery takes longer to work than anyone expected.