Joseph Woll just delivered the game Toronto desperately needed, and the timing couldn't be bigger
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Joseph Woll gave the Maple Leafs the game they desperately needed in net, and may have kickstarted the team's journey away from the bottom of the standings..
With the Toronto Maple Leafs coming off a tough 5-2 loss against Montreal, they needed a bounce back game in the biggest way, with their offense, defense, and goaltending needing to come out strong.
Wednesday night's game against Columbus wasn't exactly the barnburner as it was the last time these two met, but it was a hard-fought game that saw the Maple Leafs come away with a 2-1 overtime victory thanks to a William Nylander OT winner:
The star winger patiently waited for goaltender Jet Greaves to be out of position before burying the puck which came minutes after rookie Easton Cowan tied the game with his second of the season:
But the real story on Wednesday night was goaltender Joseph Woll, who stood on his head all night, and gave Toronto every chance to stay in the game and get the win.
How Joseph Woll's performance might have bought Craig Berube time behind the bench
Stopping 35 of 36 shots, Woll turned in one of his best performances of the season, with some of his saves being downright fantastic:
It was a game that Toronto needed, and was similar to ones we saw last season where the team would grind out a one-goal win off the backs of some great goaltending and timing.
He also may have given his coach more time too, as Toronto wasn't perfect on Wednesday but Woll nearly helped them get there, and Berube deserves credit for a more efficiently managed game.
If Woll can build off this -- and the rest of the team follows -- it could help keep their head coach's job safe in a critical stretch, and stabilize the room a bit.
Why this win changes the pressure around the Maple Leafs far more than it looks
Looking ahead, Toronto plays four straight road games, all of which are against teams who are struggling a bit yet seem to have the Maple Leafs' number as of late.
They play Washington on Friday, then Pittsburgh on Saturday before heading to Florida, and then Carolina before heading home, then having another tough stretch of games.
Toronto needs a strong road trip and getting a huge effort from Woll is a great way to kick things off, and if the team can ride this momentum and come out with a positive record on this stretch -- it could put them in a better spot come Christmas.
The team is getting their key players back slowly, having more stable goaltending, and showing glimpses of the Atlantic Division winners we saw last year which for fans is a hopeful sign of good things to come.
TRENDING NOW
