As the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare for Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series, one thing is clear: their hopes depend in no small part on goaltender Joseph Woll’s performance.
Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe has been cagey regarding which of his goalies will start against the Bruins, but don’t kid yourself into thinking Ilya Samsonov will be Keefe’s choice. Samsonov’s wild changes in effectiveness may have ended his time with the Buds, and the 25-year-old Woll is now tasked with saving Toronto’s season.
Joseph Woll is not on the ice for the team’s optional skate while Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones are taking part.
Strongly projects that Woll will start tonight against Boston.
— David Alter (@dalter) April 30, 2024
We don’t think that’s a bad thing. To the contrary – we’ve liked Woll’s game ever since he became a regular option in net for the Leafs.
Although Woll has only 36 games of regular-season NHL experience over the past three years, his .912 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average in that span underscore his talent between the pipes. He has had a bad game here or there, but Woll largely has given his teammates a chance to win night in and night out.
To be sure, Woll will need more than a little help from Toronto’s defensemen. It appears youngster Timothy Liljegren will be back in the lineup, and veteran T.J. Brodie will be a healthy scratch once again. Brodie has not delivered, given what’s expected of a $5-million-per-season D-man. There’s a very good chance his appearance in Game 4 will be his last in Blue and White.
And while it seems unlikely that Auston Matthews will play on Tuesday, the offense must also support Woll by keeping the puck in the other end and the opponent’s net.
"I was a bit surprised, but it is what it is."
Timothy Liljegren draws back in and said he feels good, despite Leafs coach saying he wasn't 100 percent healthy ⤵️https://t.co/lBsvjFycR5https://t.co/lBsvjFycR5— David Alter (@dalter) April 30, 2024
But let’s get back to the biggest key here: Woll’s ability to match Bruins counterpart Jeremy Swayman in terms of frustrating the opposition with a lights-out performance.
Swayman has been outstanding in three appearances, posting a 1.34 GAA and .956 SP. Woll doesn’t have to be that dominant, but he definitely needs to limit Boston to one or two goals to give Toronto’s wobbly offense enough landing room to pull out a win and keep the series alive. Anything more than three goals will mark the end of the Leafs’ season, and Woll and Keefe know it.
As we’ve seen in recent years, you don’t necessarily need an incredible goalie to go on a deep playoff run and win a Cup. But when the guy in the other net is standing on his head, you do have to elevate your game to try your best to match it.
That’s the challenge for Woll. If he does enough to allow the Leafs to win Game 5 — and perhaps come back and eliminate Boston in seven games — Woll will be Toronto’s starter for next season. He’ll be one of the best bargains in the league at a $766,667 annual cap hit. When he becomes an RFA in the summer of 2025, Woll will be due for a massive raise, and earning that raise starts today.
The Leafs have had their share of high-quality netminders over the years, including the expert instinctual talent that was Curtis Joseph and the elite fundamentally sound Ed Belfour. We see Woll as a goalie similar to Belfour, always squaring up to the shots he faces, rarely rattled by an unfortunate goal here or there. Woll isn’t a perfect goalie, but he’s the best one Toronto has, and he is about to play the biggest game of his life.
The Leafs could’ve addressed their goaltending at the trade deadline and picked up a veteran like Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom. They chose to stick with what they have, and thus far, that strategy has failed. Woll has the chance to prove that approach was the right choice. It certainly won’t be easy, but it is possible, and Woll is now the last line of Toronto’s defense.
The Leafs’ season is almost over, but if Woll comes through in the clutch and backstops them to a series win against the Bruins, he’ll be “The Man” for years to come. It’s all in his own hands, and there’s no more excuses. It’s do-or-die for Woll and his teammates, and the results that come Tuesday will dictate Toronto’s strategy in net for the foreseeable future.
Related: The Epitaphs Begin For the 2023-24 Toronto Maple Leafs
Related: Game 4 Defeat Signals Incoming Changes For All-But Eliminated Leafs
News Summary:
- Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll Tasked with Saving Toronto's Season
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