Leafs’ Woll makes 36 saves in conditioning start with Marlies

Joseph Woll’s conditioning stint is off to a solid start.

Playing in his first game since Dec. 7, when he suffered a high-ankle sprain, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender was in net Friday for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

Facing the Laval Rocket on the road, Woll stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced, helping the team to a 4-1 victory. The 25-year-old was well-tested throughout the game as Laval received nine power-play opportunities.

“Felt great. It’s been a couple of months, and I’ve been really itching to get back in the game,” Woll said after the win.

“It was awesome; it was great to get the win with the team here. I did my best to help out the Marlies today, and I thought the guys played great in front of me. They protected the paint all night.”

Prior to his injury, Woll had seized the No. 1 goaltender job for Toronto, overtaking the then-struggling Ilya Samsonov.

Across 15 appearances for the Leafs this season, he has an 8-5-1 record, along with a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

Woll resumed practising with the Maple Leafs on Feb. 12. The team then assigned him to the Marlies on Wednesday — likely for a short stint based on Friday’s performance.