The Toronto Maple Leafs have forced the Boston Bruins to a game seven in their first-round 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoff series. Goaltender Joseph Woll is a big reason why the Leafs are still alive. In their game six victory, Woll stopped 22 out of 23 shots from the Bruins. In addition, he was just 0.1 seconds away from earning his first career playoff shutout. That feat was spoiled by Morgan Geekie as he was able to bury a consolation goal for Boston.
Joseph Woll Getting the Job Done These Playoffs
Since being introduced into the series, Woll has earned two wins, one on the road and one at home. During that span, he’s faced 51 shots and stopped 49 of them. This gave him a .960 save percentage over those two games. Woll first played in this series back in game four when Ilya Samsonov was replaced by Joseph Woll to start the third period while Toronto was down 3-0 in that game. Woll gave his team a fighting chance to get back in the game stopping all five shots he faced in the period.
Since then, Woll has provided a sense of calmness in goal. He rarely over-commits or loses track of the puck. In addition, he hardly finds himself in a position where he needs to make a desperate save. On top of that, he’s great at swallowing the puck. He doesn’t allow rebound opportunities for the Bruins to feast on.
Unfazed by the Pressure
Woll has been put in a high-pressure situation. His team is only one loss away from experiencing another first-round exit. Moreover, all of Woll’s playoff appearances have come in games where Toronto was facing elimination. His run starting last year when the Florida Panthers knocked them out in the second round. Despite being thrown into an unprecedented scenario under the bright lights of the NHL playoffs, Woll seems to be unbothered by what’s at stake for the Maple Leafs, in a good way.
It’s also worth mentioning that he has dealt with a high-ankle sprain injury. That injury kept him out for three months earlier in the season. When he returned he was only able to get in a handful of games before the playoffs began.
After Toronto’s game five win over the Bruins, the 25-year-old said he was, “having the time of my life out there.” Woll is no stranger when it comes to performing at TD Garden as he played for Boston College for three years before being drafted by the Maple Leafs. “It’s a place I’ve played a lot of big games, and to come in here and play the Bruins in an elimination game is pretty special,” he said. Woll will have to put together another one of those great TD Garden performances. Saturday Toronto meets Boston for the final time this season.
Joseph Woll Getting Help in Front of Him These Playoffs
While Woll deserves the recognition he’s been getting over the last couple of games, he can (at least partly) thank his defence for lessening the workload for him, especially in game six. Up until the 12:53 mark of the second period, the Leafs were able to hold the Bruins to just one shot on goal. Toronto’s bottom-four defencemen have been a reason for that. The pairing of Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit was very noticeable in game six. They put up a combined 11 hits, and five blocked shots and won several puck battles throughout the night. In addition to that, as a team they blocked a total of 27 shots. That’s the most Toronto has blocked in this series. Getting in the way of all these shots certainly helps Woll conserve his energy for when he is needed.
Game Seven
The Missouri native has not conceded more than one goal in a game this series. He will look to continue that solid form for game seven on Saturday on the road. Based on his previous performances, one would assume that Sheldon Keefe names Joseph Woll starter between the pipes in what will be a ‘do or die’ game. The winner of that game will face the Florida Panthers in the second round, a familiar opponent for both teams.
Main photo: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
