FORT LAUDERDALE – Minutes after a difficult overtime loss in Game 3 – a game that saw three pucks bounce off players and in – Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll channeled his inner Taylor Swift in a chat with the media.
“You just shake it off,” Woll said. “Bounces go both ways, and that’s hockey.”
The Maple Leafs held a 2-0 lead early in the first period on Friday, only for a collection of weird bounces at both ends to change the course of the game. Florida ultimately won the game in overtime, giving them their first victory of the series.
Many questioned Woll’s performance. There wasn’t much he could have done on the redirections, but the third and fourth goals against weren’t particularly pretty. Sergei Bobrovsky struggled as well, but redeemed himself during a huge overtime effort for the Panthers’ keeper.
Overall, Woll has been better than Bobrovsky since having to fill in for an injured Anthony Stolarz. After Friday’s loss, Woll’s goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 fell to -0.64, placing him sixth out of nine goaltenders in the second round. So while that’s not great, it’s much better than Bobrovsky, who sits dead last with a -5.29 GSAx.
“It’s a very difficult situation to be in, but he’s handled it extremely well,” Max Pacioretty said on Saturday morning. “And I’ve made a point of talking about how hard he works, and I think that’s a big reason why he’s having success.”
Toronto thrived in the first round by having Stolarz help get the puck down the ice on the breakout. Coach Craig Berube wanted to see Woll play the puck more to keep things status quo. For Stolarz, that’s second nature. Not so for Woll, who found himself chasing pucks behind the net a bit more than he probably should of.
Woll’s teammates eventually figured out how to handle it as the game wore on.
If it wasn’t for some unlucky moments in front of Woll, the Leafs could have easily found themselves sitting with a 3-0 series lead. He was great early on as Toronto took a 2-0 advantage.
But Woll has always been known for being mentally strong and bouncing back from a bad game. That’s what the Leafs will need from No. 60. The last time Woll lost consecutive games this season was against Ottawa and Minnesota to close out January. He allowed just four goals in that span while boasting a .915 save percentage.
“He’s mentally focused,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said on Sunday morning.”He’s really into that side of the game. So, he’s in a good spot. You’re not going to save them all. And he just needs to go out and do what he needs to do.”
The Panthers do a good job of getting to the net and making life miserable for goalies – just ask Stolarz. It’s something that Woll has handled well for the most part, but limiting low-danger goals has to be the goal moving forward here.
Toronto is still in control, and there’s still a chance they close it out on home ice on Sunday. But to put the pressure back on the Panthers, they’ll need tighter goaltending, fewer defensive zone mistakes, and a big night from some of Toronto’s stars.
Let’s just say that it’s not hyperbole that the next few games are some of the biggest of Woll’s career. A big night for No. 60 could give Toronto the momentum back heading home – and you know he’ll be ready for that.