Joseph Woll Yanked After Five Goals Against Finland

joseph woll was pulled after allowing five goals on ten shots against Finland on Monday at the IIHF World Hockey Championships. Devin Cooley took over in the second period as the USA dropped a 6-2 decision.

Woll’s Two-Game Start

The rough finish came after two uneven appearances in the tournament. Woll stopped 17 of 20 shots in a 3-1 loss to Switzerland in Team USA’s opener, then did not start in the 5-1 win over Great Britain.

That left Monday as the latest chance for him to settle in and find rhythm with the roster. Instead, Finland pushed him out after a five-goal burst, and the USA had to finish the game with Cooley.

Granato’s Goaltending Choice

Don Granato has the next call to make. Woll’s start count is already limited, and the sequence against Switzerland, Great Britain, and Finland gives the coaching staff three data points rather than one bad night.

Woll said, "I think it was a bit of up and down. I felt like I had some stretches where I was feeling good about my game, and some stretches where things weren’t necessarily going my way. At the end of the day, I felt, if I look at the season as a whole, I feel like maybe I’ve had some stuff left on the table."

That leaves the tournament in a straightforward place for him: he still has time to change the tone, but his play is moving the wrong way at the worst possible moment. For a goalie trying to reset his game with Team USA, the margin for another performance like Monday’s has already shrunk.