Latest news with #Woll
Edmonton Journal
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Player-by-player final look at 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs
Article content Contract: One year, $2.5 million Joseph Woll Like Stolarz, Woll didn't tire while hitting a career-high. For Woll, it was 42 games, and he had a .909 save percentage, 13th in the NHL and tied with his pal Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars. Woll had a good regular season on the whole, but couldn't overtake Stolarz, who simply was better. Woll would've had to have been close to perfect to match Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky in the second round and we know what happened. All things considered, expect Woll to take a good run at the starter's job when training camp opens in September. Contract: Three years, $3.66 million DEFENCEMEN Simon Benoit The 26-year-old developed into what a team should want out of a third-pairing defenceman: Few concerns, in general, when he's on the ice and a steady physical presence. Not only was the 6-foot-4, 211-pound Benoit a Game 3 overtime hero against Ottawa after he scored once in 79 regular-season games, he led Leafs D-men in the playoffs with 42 hits and led the team in blocks. Despite where he lands on the depth chart, Benoit should have no worries about trying to hang on to his job in camp.
Vancouver Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
RICK VAIVE: A new chapter unfolds for Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies
You have to like a textbook road win — and the kind of stories Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll made out of it on Friday. Talk about a tale of two different nights, from Game 5 to Game 6. The Leafs had no passengers as they deadlocked the series with a 2-0 shutout. They did a great job in the defensive zone, blocking 31 shots, Joseph Woll was great and they didn't allow any power-play goals, or try any more of those sloppy passes for plays that weren't there. Florida is a tough team to out-work, yet Toronto took away the middle of the ice and allowed nothing in front. How many times did Florida get a shot that resulted in a tip or a rebound? Woll was really sound in there. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It might have been the circumstances — the whole backs-to-the-wall elimination thing. It could also have been that old problem with the Leafs — playing too fancy at home in front of their fans. Once you get out of town, with fewer distractions, you certainly have the players' attention. This close to the end of the year, everyone listens to the coach about keeping it simple. Auston Matthews scored a big goal as everyone knows he can, Mitch Marner set it up and Max Pacioretty scored the clincher. But there were many other leaders-by-example. Woll's ability is one thing — pucks just seemed to stick to him in Game 6 — but it's his calmness that impresses me, too. He doesn't react to unnecessary things around him, even at the end of the game when Matthew Tkachuk tried to get in his face. He lifts his team to a point where they're thinking: 'I'm not going out of position, I know he'll make the save, I'll just worry about my job out front'. You read Woll's media interviews, too, or see him on camera, and he knows the right thing to say about himself or the team. I think he and Jake Oettinger in Dallas learned a lot of that when both were in the U.S. Development Program. Oettenger has said they're good friends and that Woll is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. Not bad for the guy who was supposed to be the backup to Anthony Stolarz in the playoffs. There was some real inspiration provided by Knies as well after he got hurt. I'm no doctor and don't know the nature of his injury, but that reverse hit from Niko Mikkola really slowed him. Yet he hung in there, even if he didn't get used a ton afterwards. As the type of player he is, a big man who can take on Florida's best, he knows how much it means for everyone else for him stay around. It goes a long way in a game like that. I think that because he showed coach Craig Berube that he can still contribute, he battles through the pain and plays in Game 7 on Sunday. It would be hard to take a guy like that out, he'd be a huge loss. To duplicate everything the Leafs did right in Game 6 will be hard, but they are at home again and want to make it up to the fans for what happened in Game 5. I'll be at Scotiabank Arena and thinking how much they'll fire up this city if they finally win a Game 7. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life. He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests.
Ottawa Citizen
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
RICK VAIVE: A new chapter unfolds for Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies
Article content You have to like a textbook road win — and the kind of stories Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll made out of it on Friday. Article content Talk about a tale of two different nights, from Game 5 to Game 6. The Leafs had no passengers as they deadlocked the series with a 2-0 shutout. They did a great job in the defensive zone, blocking 31 shots, Joseph Woll was great and they didn't allow any power-play goals, or try any more of those sloppy passes for plays that weren't there. Article content Article content Florida is a tough team to out-work, yet Toronto took away the middle of the ice and allowed nothing in front. How many times did Florida get a shot that resulted in a tip or a rebound? Woll was really sound in there. Article content Article content It might have been the circumstances — the whole backs-to-the-wall elimination thing. It could also have been that old problem with the Leafs — playing too fancy at home in front of their fans. Once you get out of town, with fewer distractions, you certainly have the players' attention. This close to the end of the year, everyone listens to the coach about keeping it simple. Article content Auston Matthews scored a big goal as everyone knows he can, Mitch Marner set it up and Max Pacioretty scored the clincher. But there were many other leaders-by-example. Article content Woll's ability is one thing — pucks just seemed to stick to him in Game 6 — but it's his calmness that impresses me, too. He doesn't react to unnecessary things around him, even at the end of the game when Matthew Tkachuk tried to get in his face. Article content Article content He lifts his team to a point where they're thinking: 'I'm not going out of position, I know he'll make the save, I'll just worry about my job out front'. Article content You read Woll's media interviews, too, or see him on camera, and he knows the right thing to say about himself or the team. I think he and Jake Oettinger in Dallas learned a lot of that when both were in the U.S. Development Program. Oettenger has said they're good friends and that Woll is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. Article content Not bad for the guy who was supposed to be the backup to Anthony Stolarz in the playoffs. Article content There was some real inspiration provided by Knies as well after he got hurt. I'm no doctor and don't know the nature of his injury, but that reverse hit from Niko Mikkola really slowed him. Yet he hung in there, even if he didn't get used a ton afterwards.
Calgary Herald
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
RICK VAIVE: A new chapter unfolds for Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies
Article content You have to like a textbook road win — and the kind of stories Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll made out of it on Friday. Article content Talk about a tale of two different nights, from Game 5 to Game 6. The Leafs had no passengers as they deadlocked the series with a 2-0 shutout. They did a great job in the defensive zone, blocking 31 shots, Joseph Woll was great and they didn't allow any power-play goals, or try any more of those sloppy passes for plays that weren't there. Article content Article content Florida is a tough team to out-work, yet Toronto took away the middle of the ice and allowed nothing in front. How many times did Florida get a shot that resulted in a tip or a rebound? Woll was really sound in there. Article content Article content It might have been the circumstances — the whole backs-to-the-wall elimination thing. It could also have been that old problem with the Leafs — playing too fancy at home in front of their fans. Once you get out of town, with fewer distractions, you certainly have the players' attention. This close to the end of the year, everyone listens to the coach about keeping it simple. Article content Auston Matthews scored a big goal as everyone knows he can, Mitch Marner set it up and Max Pacioretty scored the clincher. But there were many other leaders-by-example. Woll's ability is one thing — pucks just seemed to stick to him in Game 6 — but it's his calmness that impresses me, too. He doesn't react to unnecessary things around him, even at the end of the game when Matthew Tkachuk tried to get in his face. Article content Article content He lifts his team to a point where they're thinking: 'I'm not going out of position, I know he'll make the save, I'll just worry about my job out front'. Article content You read Woll's media interviews, too, or see him on camera, and he knows the right thing to say about himself or the team. I think he and Jake Oettinger in Dallas learned a lot of that when both were in the U.S. Development Program. Oettenger has said they're good friends and that Woll is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. Article content Not bad for the guy who was supposed to be the backup to Anthony Stolarz in the playoffs. Article content There was some real inspiration provided by Knies as well after he got hurt. I'm no doctor and don't know the nature of his injury, but that reverse hit from Niko Mikkola really slowed him. Yet he hung in there, even if he didn't get used a ton afterwards.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Paul Maurice says Game 7s represent 'freedom.' It awaits the Panthers and Leafs on Sunday night
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Before every series, Florida coach Paul Maurice talks to his team about what they need to do along the way to get ready for Game 7. The reason: If a series goes the distance — like this NHL second-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs has — he doesn't want his club to be surprised. 'You want to win in four. You do, 100%,' Maurice said Saturday. 'But the Game 7s, you'll remember. Those are the ones. There's not a lot of them. The further into the playoffs, the more intense they are. But there's a freedom in Game 7 that's not anywhere else.' Welcome to freedom. Game 7 awaits. A spot in the NHL's final four is at stake Sunday night in Toronto, when the Panthers and Maple Leafs play the deciding game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The winner will face Carolina in the East final; the loser goes into the offseason. 'It's an opportunity to make a name for ourselves again,' Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. 'We enjoy these games and we enjoy these moments.' And why wouldn't they? The last time the Panthers played a Game 7, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed Florida captain Aleksander Barkov the Stanley Cup. There's no Cup at stake on Sunday, just a chance to move one round closer to winning hockey's greatest prize. 'When I was growing up and all the people that I knew growing up, they always dreamed about a Game 7,' Toronto coach Craig Berube said. 'They're big games obviously, and a lot on the line. I mean, everything's on the line.' Florida is trying to get to the conference finals for a third consecutive season. Toronto is trying to get there for the first time since 2002. For the Panthers, Sunday represents a chance to continue defense of the title. For the Leafs, it's a chance to avoid heading into another summer with the 'same old Leafs' tag that has dogged the franchise in plenty of playoff flameouts over the years. 'Yes, we feel the pressure, obviously,' Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. 'But the motivation, the pride that you have coming to the rink … it's second to none. It's a full body tingling experience when you get off the ice for the first time.' The back-and-forth of this series and similarities within the matchup are truly something to behold: — The Maple Leafs won Games 1 and 2 at home. The Panthers won Games 3 and 4 at home. — Florida went on the road to win Game 5. Toronto went on the road to win Game 6. — Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky had a 2-0 shutout win to tie the series at 2-2. Toronto's Joseph Woll had a 2-0 shutout win to tie the series at 3-3. — Florida's leading scorer in the series is Sam Bennett with three goals. Toronto's leading scorer in the series is William Nylander with three goals. — Bobrovsky's save percentage so far: .895. Woll's save percentage so far: .893. 'The job's only going to get harder,' Toronto forward Mitch Marner said. Woll was on the Toronto bench to start its first-round series against Boston last year, then went 2-1 in Games 4-6 to help the Leafs get into Game 7. But he got hurt in that Game 6 win, couldn't go in Game 7 and the Bruins wound up beating Toronto and Ilya Samsonov 2-1 in overtime. 'It sucked not being able to play last year, for sure,' Woll said. 'And I think this is just a pretty special opportunity for our team.' Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT (TNT/truTV/Max) Series: Tied, 3-3. A breakdown of key Game 7 stats and notes: — All-time record: Florida 3-1 (2-0 road), Toronto 12-15 (7-3 home) — The Marchand effect: Florida's Brad Marchand has played in 12 Game 7s, his Boston teams going 7-5 in those games and 4-0 against Toronto. — The Leafs drought: Toronto hasn't won a Game 7 since 2004. The Leafs are 0-6 in ultimate games since then, the worst record in the league over that span. Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander have played in five previous Game 7s together and never won. — The coaches: Maurice is 5-0 in Game 7s. Berube is 2-1. Both have one Stanley Cup, and both had to win a Game 7 in the title series to get those championships (Berube with St. Louis in 2019, Maurice with Florida last year).
