In a close game that looked like playoff hockey, the Boston Bruins took advantage of William Nylander’s unfortunate Keystone Cops routine to score with seconds left in an amazingly entertaining overtime period. The final score was 4-3 for the Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The game felt more like hockey in May than in early December.
The key offensive contributors for the Maple Leafs were Auston Matthews, who scored twice, and Max Domi, who put in his first goal of the season. With his two, Matthews now has an impressive 16 goals. Defensively, goalie Joseph Woll defined the old saw that the goalie is a team’s last line of defense. He made 33 saves in the game to keep his team in the game.
After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe commended Matthews, describing him as a “beast” on the ice. While Keefe gave considerable credit to the Bruins’ solid game, he also noted that Matthews had an exceptional game as well.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 4-3 Overtime Loss to Bruins
For readers who wish to read a three-takeaway piece about the game, please click the link above from my THW colleague Michael DeRosa. In my post, I’ll look more at the contributions of individual players and comment on what these might mean for the season and even beyond.
Item One: Woll Has Solid Game Despite the Loss
It was an odd game for Joseph Woll. Although he stood tall in goal for the Maple Leafs and stopped 34 of 37 shots, the goals he let in were strange. On two of them, he thought he had the puck safely corralled in his glove, but he was wrong. The puck was just sitting there for a Bruins player to put home. Had they been where he thought they were, the Maple Leafs would have won the game.
In the end, Woll made 33 saves in the game. He was especially strong in an entertaining and challenging overtime, where his unwavering focus kept the Maple Leafs competitive until the final unlucky moment. Don’t blame Woll for the team’s loss. It seemed the hockey gods had decided to tease the Maple Leafs with Matthews’ last-second third-period goal, only to give the Bruins the last laugh with their last-second overtime winner.
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Woll has been playing well over his last seven games, putting up a 4-2-1 record in that span. On the season, he’s played 14 games, with an 8-5-1 record, a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.82, and an impressive save percentage of .915. Last night, his play kept the Maple Leafs competitive, and his presence in the crease should give his team’s fans positive vibes moving forward.
Item Two: Auston Matthews Stood Out Despite the Overtime Loss
Coach Keefe got it right. Matthews was everywhere for the Maple Leafs last night. After the team went down 2-0, he scored his 15th goal of the season just past the midway point of the second period. Then, things looked lost after the Bruins had got the puck out of their defensive zone with only 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Somehow, however, Mitch Marner found him open in his usual spot just left of the goalie for his game-tying 16th goal with six seconds remaining to force overtime.
Matthews’ remarkable two-goal game ended his four-game goal-scoring drought, marking his longest 2023-24 season slump. He now stands with a total of 16 goals and 25 points in 22 games on the season, and he continues to be a driving force for his team by stepping up in critical moments. His late-game goal was so Matthews.
Item Three: Max Domi Finally Pots His First Maple Leafs Goal
Max Domi was one happy player in last night’s game. He finally got the monkey off his back by scoring his first Maple Leafs goal. His one-tooth-missing smile showed fans everything they needed to know about how he felt.
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This goal was Domi’s first of the season. However, he has been contributing with 11 assists in the 21 games he’d played heading into the Bruins game. The third line again played a decent game, and it was appropriate that Nick Robertson got the primary assist and Calle Jarnkrok the secondary assist on Domi’s goal.
Although the 28-year-old Domi is only averaging 12:58 on the ice, compared to a career average of 16:16, he’s taken advantage of the chance to shape himself into a valuable member of the team. He’s fitting into the system and the team’s dynamics. I wouldn’t be surprised if the goal lifts his confidence and fans will see him start scoring a bit more. In addition, I can see him signing a long-term, team-friendly contract with his hometown Maple Leafs in the offseason. For all his individual and personal frustrations about not scoring more goals, I think he’s enjoying playing in Toronto.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs have a few days off before they regroup to face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. By that time, goalie Ilya Samsonov should be well enough to play. If so, that will be an interesting call for the team’s coaching staff.
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Do they give Samsonov a start or give it to Woll? Woll has played well enough to be by rights the starting goalie. How the coaching staff plays it will be interesting not just for this season but for next season. Samsonov has a strong record of 4-1-3, but his 3.58 GAA and .878 save percentage tell a truer story of how he’s been playing.
