Joseph Woll will get another start as his team’s season is on a tightrope.
The rookie goalie will be in net for the Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Florida Panthers, after making 24 saves in the Torontonians’ 2-1 win on Wednesday night .
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Thursday before the team flew to Canada that Ilya Samsonov is still out with an upper-body injury.
Matt Murray is expected to be the backup goaltender on Friday as the Maple Leafs look to cut the deficit to 3-2 in their best-of-seven series.
“He didn’t skate,” Keefe said of Samsonov. We’ll see how he feels (Friday), but so far only Joe Woll and Matt Murray are available. »
Woll became the first Maple Leafs rookie to earn his first playoff start since Felix Potvin in 1993. The 24-year-old is also the eighth rookie in NHL history to savor his first victory in his first start in the playoffs in a game without a future for his team.
“He’s confident, but mostly calm, no matter the situation,” Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly said. It’s impressive. To get a start in such an important game and do what he did… it’s mind-blowing.
“He was a key part of that win,” added O’Reilly.
Woll was 6-1-0 in seven games with the Leafs in the regular season — including a six-game winning streak late in the season — and was 16-4-1 with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League.
“He works really hard,” Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren said. He’s looked good all year…and he takes his game up a notch at the crucial moment. »
The Torontonians put up an inspired performance, and were watertight defensively in front of Woll, even though they were limited to just two goals in their sixth straight playoff game.
“It was a big win yesterday (Wednesday),” noted O’Reilly, who screened Mitch Marner’s winning net in the third period. We have to keep bothering him (Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky). The more traffic we create around him, the more shots we fire at him, and the more we rush to collect throwbacks, then the better. »
Keefe praised the Panthers’ work defensively, especially in the last two games — a 3-2 overtime win for the Floridians and a win for the Leafs as they faced elimination.
“You have to take advantage of the scoring chances that we get,” he said. We have to keep the pressure up in attack, but as we demonstrated (Wednesday), we have to do it by ensuring that our defense is watertight and that it gives us a chance to win.
“If we can continue to score one goal more than the opponent, then everything will be fine,” he concluded.
Gudas print Kampf
Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas stamped David Kampf against the ramp in the second period, and the Leafs player looked stunned on the streak. Kampf left for the locker room after the hard-hitting check that came at or shortly after the whistle signaled the stoppage, but was back on the bench in the third period.
“I didn’t have the sound when I saw the footage, so I don’t know exactly when the referee called the stoppage,” Keefe explained. But that was a check from a guy (Gudas) who knew the game was stopped, or was going to be. In my opinion, it is a check intended to hurt the opponent.
“The evidence is there, but I’m relieved that David is OK,” he concluded.