'I Feel Pretty Safe When He's In The Net There': Joseph Woll Grabs the Win of His Life as Maple Leafs Force Game 6 Against Bruins
BOSTON — Through four games of their playoff series against the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs struggled to score goals and get consistent enough goaltending.
On Tuesday, the Leafs got the latter from Joseph Woll.
Making his first start of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Woll was sharp, making 26 saves on 27 shots and helping his team defeat the Bruins 2-1 in overtime to stave off elimination and force a Game 6 back at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
“He was fantastic. He just looked really calm, really under control and was seeing it really well, tracking it,” Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said of Woll “Obviously, (he’s) extremely talented and such a great pro. So the way he’s stayed on things over the last little while, didn’t miss a beat.”
Woll wasn’t tested much in the third period and allowed his only goal of the game from friend and fellow St. Louis native Trent Frederic in the first period. From there, he stood on his head, providing his team with some big saves to keep his team in the fight.
Woll even atoned for the goal allowed on Frederic by robbing him blind in the third period as the Bruins pressed for a go-ahead goal.
“I was obviously very happy to get in the net and happy that you know, the coaches and team have faith in me,” Woll said. “I’m having the time of my life out there.”
The Maple Leafs started the playoffs with Ilya Samsonov in goal. After the second period of Game 4, the Leafs put in Woll for his first appearance of these playoffs. It wasn’t that Samsonov was particularly bad, but the level of goaltending the Leafs needed in this series for how little they have been scoring required a change.
It proved to be the right call.
“He’s a pretty calm and collected individual and I feel pretty safe when he’s in net there,” Friend and teammate said Matthew Knies, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime. “He sees the ice well and I trust him a lot.
Woll got off to a tremendous start to this season going 8-5-1 while posting a .916 save percentage before he suffered a high-ankle sprain in a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 7. He returned nearly three months later, but struggled to re-capture his previous form. Samsonov improved his play down the stretch after a disastrous start to the season and earned the nod over Woll for the first four games of the playoffs.
But facing elimination, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe felt a change was needed and was really impressed with how Woll didn’t waver in his preparation during the postseason.
“When Joe knew he wasn’t going to be starting in Game 1 of the playoffs, it was obvious to me that he was going to just continue to work and do everything that he could and prepare as though he were playing and staying ready,” Keefe said. So, he’s certainly done that.
“Joe showed tonight why you have confidence in him.”
The Leafs were carried by the play of Woll and Knies’ ot-winner but continue to have issues scoring goals, with just nine tallies over five games. The Leafs played without Auston Matthews and that certainly doesn’t help things. But if Toronto wants to end up mounting a comeback in the series, they’ll likely need a game where they score at least three.
If Woll continues to perform like he did in Game 5, they have a chance.
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