Maple Leafs turn to rookie goaltender Joseph Woll with season online in Game 4

Joseph Woll is not thinking about all the work that got him to this point.

The Maple Leafs’ rookie goaltender is focusing on keeping his team’s season alive.

Toronto will turn to Woll for Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, who face a 3-0 deficit with No. 1 choice Ilya Samsonov sidelined with an upper-body injury.

“Right now, it’s direct,” Woll said after Tuesday’s practice at FLA Live Arena. “There is time for reflection. I don’t think that time is now. The time now is to trust everything I’ve done and everything this team has done.

“As long as I trust that and have some faith, I believe that anything is possible here.”

The Leafs certainly look forward to it after digging a deep hole after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to advance to the postseason for the first time since 2004.

CLOCK | Leafs falls to Panthers in OT of Game 3:

Reinhart’s OT winner for Panthers puts Maple Leafs on brink of elimination

Florida takes a commanding 3-0 lead in their second round playoff series against Toronto when Sam Reinhart scores 3:02 into overtime.

Toronto hasn’t played at their level against Florida thanks to key errors and an offense that found the back of the net just six times, including zero goals from Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

“We have a good group of guys on the ice,” Woll said. “[But] is a special group of human beings. The most important thing right now is to believe.

Samsonov abandoned Sunday’s 3-2 loss in extra time after being accidentally knocked out by teammate Luke Schenn.

Woll was solid off the bench in relief with 22 saves, including a pair of big stops to force overtime before being blown out by a Sam Reinhart turnaround that gave the Panthers a commanding lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday that Samsonov is listed as daily and is unavailable.

“Joe will go,” Keefe said, adding that he didn’t consider a rusty Matt Murray as an option. “We are very confident in [Woll]. We’re excited for him to have that opportunity.”

CLOCK | Samsonov out of Game 3 with injury:

Maple Leafs goaltender Samsonov leaves Game 3 after a collision with teammate Schenn

Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov leaves the game with an injury after colliding with teammate Luke Schenn early in the second period.

Matthews played with the first-year goalie when they were both members of the US National Team Development Program as teenagers.

“Really solid for us when he had to step in,” Matthews said. “He’s just progressed so much as a goalkeeper, I think mentally as well.

“He comes to the track every day with a smile on his face.”

A third-round pick of the Leafs in 2016, Woll is 9-2-1 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.51 GAA in 13 career regular-season appearances.

The 24-year-old went 16-4-1 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League in 2022-23.

Woll, who grew up outside of St. Louis, spent Monday with his teammates trying to relax with a steep hill to climb.

“I swam a bit in the ocean, had a bit of water therapy there,” he said. “Hopefully everyone has a chance to clear their minds.”

That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Woll.

“I’ve had a good mindset of what I want to pursue in my life,” he said. “And when I have that, when I have my base, it’s easy to see everything. I’m happy to be where I am.”

That will be under the bright lights on Wednesday.

Muzzin’s influence

Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin has been sidelined with a neck injury for most of the season, but remains a constant presence at home and away.

He was also a member of the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, one of four teams in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

“We lean on Jake a lot,” Keefe said. “It’s just the presence of him being around him. A lot of that can be more through casual conversations with players.

“He’s being flirted with a lot on this case.”

random alignment

The Leafs mixed up their lines Tuesday, with Calle Jarnkrok joining Matthews and Marner, while Alexander Kerfoot skated with Tavares and Nylander.

Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari and Michael Bunting made up the third trio.

Keefe also moved TJ Brodie to the left side of defense alongside Justin Holl. Morgan Rielly and Luke Schenn stayed together, but Jake McCabe and Timothy Liljegren formed a new third couple.

“I’m just trying to change the chemistry of the group,” Keefe said. “We have a lot of flexibility.”