Joseph Woll deserving of another start for Leafs in must-win Game 6

Article content

We know who is slated to start in goal for the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Article content

For Game 6 at Scotiabank Arena against the Boston Bruins, however, again with the season on the line, there remains no clarity on the status of centre Auston Matthews. 

Article content

Believed to be dealing with an injury of some sort after getting through an illness, the Leafs’ best player skated on Wednesday afternoon at the Ford Performance Centre by himself as the rest of his teammates stayed off the ice.

Other than confirming that Matthews gave it an on-ice go, Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said he had “no update” on Matthews.

Where the Leafs crease is concerned, Keefe didn’t come right out and say that Joseph Woll will be back in net after he was excellent in the Leafs’ 2-1 overtime win in Game 5 in Boston.

With his team down 3-2 in the best-of-seven, Keefe didn’t have to utter those words.

Article content

Article content

“It’s a big game for him to go in and show that confidence (in Boston on Tuesday),” Keefe said. “We’re going to need him to continue with that. Our team is going to continue to do a job in front of him. All those things have to be connected. The team defence has got to do its job. If there’s a breakdown, the goalie has to do his job. 

“That’s what we saw from Joseph. He didn’t get tested a lot and didn’t get a lot of work in that first period. It can be tough mentally when you go in and team has played really well and you’ve given up one (goal) on two shots. 

“He didn’t let that affect him. He just stayed with it. And didn’t let the next one fall.”

Some figure that Woll should have started earlier in the series, but the Leafs didn’t find themselves at a 3-1 deficit going into Game 5 because the goaltending provided by Ilya Samsonov had not been good. It just wasn’t as great as it needed to be.

Article content

A glaring issue has been at the Bruins end, where the Leafs have averaged 1.8 goals a game. Only the Washington Capitals, among the 16 Stanley Cup playoff teams, were less productive before being swept by the New York Rangers, averaging 1.75 goals. 

There’s no sense that the Leafs are suddenly going to start filling the net behind Jeremy Swayman, who has a .952 save percentage in his four starts. By now, we would have witnessed some weaknesses on the part of Swayman, but there haven’t been any. When Matthew Knies scored the winner early in overtime of Game 5, it was more the failure of Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle to detect the Leafs forward at the net after a terrific rush by captain John Tavares, than anything Swayman did to result in the goal.

Article content

With the overall play of Swayman in mind, it’s paramount that the Leafs goaltender is as close to perfect as possible. Aside from a Trent Frederic goal in the first period on Tuesday, a chance that came about when a Simon Benoit pass bounced off the skate of Patrick Maroon, Woll didn’t let one puck by him.

In the end, Woll was one save better than Swayman. No question, Woll deserves another start on Thursday.

“It’s essential,” Keefe said. “Goals have been hard to come by for us in this series. Their goaltending has been great. Sammy has played well, made big saves for us at key times. Game 2 in particular, when we win that game, he made some big saves in really important times to help us win. 

“(In Game 5), as good as we feel about our game and as well as we thought we played, it’s a tight game all the way through. 

Article content

“One mistake can be the difference and we’re having a much different conversation (on Wednesday). It’s really important that we reduce mistakes as a team and if you make them, your goalie has to make some saves. They’ve been getting them at the other end all series.”

It has been a tight series from the start. Each team has scored eight goals at five-on-five. 

If Matthews can play on Thursday, what kind of an impact will he be able to make? Max Domi skated into that void in Game 5 and had one of his best games with the Leafs. 

Similar to what happened for the Leafs to extend the series on Tuesday, they’re going to have to be opportunistic when they get their rare chances. 

And Woll is probably going to have to ensure that if one shot beats him, it won’t happen again. 

[email protected]

X: @koshtorontosun

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Article content