On Thursday (Oct. 31) the Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against the Seattle Kraken in hopes of adding to the win column and continuing to climb up the Atlantic Division standings. The game took place in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena in front of 18,181 fans, and it was the first time these two teams have seen each other since January 21, 2024, when the Maple Leafs took home a 3-1 win. In what was a fairly even matchup for the majority of the game, the Maple Leafs were able to pick up a 4-1 win. Here are three takeaways from their latest victory.
Woll Stands Out, Named Second Star of the Game
The first takeaway is that Joseph Woll is still a starting-caliber goaltender who can help the Maple Leafs win on a nightly basis. He stopped 24 of 25 shots posting a .960 save percentage (SV%) and was named the second star of the game. This was only Woll’s second game of the season, but he was able to pick up his first win. His first game was a loss to the St. Louis Blues where he allowed four goals on 26 shots, so it was nice to see him bounce back and help backstop his team to a victory.
While Anthony Stolarz played well in Woll’s absence and likely earned the trust of his coaching staff as a potential starter for the remainder of the season, Woll’s performance proves he can still earn the job back at any point, but having a strong tandem is a huge bonus. The Maple Leafs take on the Blues on Sunday (Nov. 2) where Woll is expected to get another shot between the pipes.
Nylander Pots Two, Up to Eight Goals This Season
The first star of the night and arguably the biggest takeaway from last night’s game was the offensive dominance from William Nylander, who scored two goals including the game-winner, bringing him up to eight tallies on the season. Nylander has started his 2024-25 campaign extremely well, with eight goals and four assists for 12 points through 11 games. Coming off of an impressive 98-point campaign last season, it’s good to see he has started to find some confidence as he sits tied for the team lead in points with Mitchell Marner.
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Nylander is in the first season of his massive contract extension with the Maple Leafs which takes him through the 2031-32 season and has an average annual value of $11.5 million. With his strong offensive production and his solid two-way game, it’s safe to say he is proving to be worth the money so far.
Maple Leafs Still Struggling on Man Advantage
The Maple Leafs still sit near the bottom of the league in terms of their power-play percentage (PP%). After going 0-for-2 on the man advantage last night, they weren’t able to improve their slow start with their special teams units. With a 9.4% PP%, they are ranked 29th in the league ahead of only the Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Anaheim Ducks.
With one of the most dangerous offensive lineups on paper, they need to figure out a way to start scoring on the power play. Luckily, they have been able to find scoring at even strength, so they don’t need to panic just yet. With Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Nylander, and Marner all producing well at 5-on-5, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about this early in the season, but it would be nice if they could find a way to take advantage when they get a power play.
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