Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll celebrates with centre John Tavares after the team battled back to win in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 21.Chris O'Meara/AP Photo
It is only five games into the season and the Maple Leafs are on the verge of a controversy. Ilya Samsonov was yanked from the net on Saturday after he stopped just one of four shots. Joseph Woll came in and was impenetrable and Toronto went on to beat Tampa Bay in overtime, 4-3.
That’s the funny thing about goalies. Much of the time they are dazzling. But sometimes, as Samsonov joked last week, they look like they need glasses. To this point, Samsonov has played poorly in three of his four starts. He won two simply because his teammates put up a torrent of goals.
There is always something with the Maple Leafs. In recent years, they hit potholes a few times before they found the right path.
Defence looked to be Toronto’s weakness during the 2023-24 campaign. Goaltending was expected to be one of its strengths. Samsonov was terrific last season in his first year with the team and, when called upon, Woll has more than held his own.
Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs coach, was cautious when asked last week to evaluate Samsonov’s performance. He said it was hard to pass judgment without taking into consideration the defensive errors that have happened in front of him.
On Saturday, Keefe had apparently seen enough. Samsonov was lifted after 13½ minutes, with the team behind 3-1.
“You can’t let in three goals on four shots,” Keefe said.
Woll was whisked into the game and, to hear his coach and teammates alike, he must have been wearing Superman’s cape. Woll thwarted all 29 shots he faced, which allowed the Maple Leafs to climb back into, and eventually win, the game.
Tavares scores in OT as Maple Leafs rally late to beat Lightning 4-3
“He was outstanding,” Keefe said. “It’s not easy to come into a game like that. There is no margin for error. For him to stand his ground the way he did was great. To see him step in and do the job for our guys was really huge.”
There is a subtle difference here in what Keefe said last week and what he says now. Woll came in and succeeded where Samsonov has not thus far with the same defence around him.
Woll was already scheduled to play in Washington against the Capitals on Tuesday but now he will likely get a closer look.
“He is definitely going to go next game and hopefully will continue to build and stack up good days,” Keefe said. “He took advantage of every practice, shot and repetition that he had all week and looked great. It kind of sent a message to our group that he is hungry.
“He is pushing for the job. That’s what you want.”
Woll, 25, has played in 13 games in three seasons and is 10-3 with a .928 save percentage. At present he is 10th in the NHL with a 1.69 goals-against average in very limited time. Samsonov is 2-0, but his goals-against average has soared to 4.34 and his save percentage has sunk to .836.
“I tried not to think about it too much,” Woll said when asked what went through his mind when he was called in off the bench so early. “I just try to be ready for any situation. We worked hard and battled back. It was a great game by us and we look forward to building on it.”
Toronto rallied behind two third-period goals by Matthew Knies and a winner by John Tavares in extra time. The goals were the first of the campaign for Knies, a 21-year-old left wing, and both came on assists from Max Domi. The latter had been quiet through the first four games but now has three assists.
There was no doubt who the biggest star was on the night.
“I don’t expect anything less from him,” Knies said of Woll. “He is an unbelievable goalie. He has always stepped up when called. It is pretty wonderful what he has been doing here.”
Domi said Woll reminds him of Carey Price, with whom he played in Montreal.
“He is great, man,” Domi said. “He is very calm and relaxed, has a big body, moves well and is technically sound. He was really a stone wall tonight.”
The good news is that the Maple Leafs are 3-2. The bad news is that, with the way they have played, they could be 1-4.