The Boston Bruins edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime in a tightly contested game with the intensity of playoff hockey. The game, which served as a reminder of how the postseason is played, provided a taste of the intensity usually reserved for games played in May rather than December.
Auston Matthews was a force on offense for the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and increasing his season total to 16 goals. Max Domi, who scored his first goal of the season, joined Matthews in scoring. Goalie Joseph Woll, the team’s backbone, lived up to the adage that a goalie is a team’s last line of defense. Woll stopped 33 shots to keep the Maple Leafs in the game.
In his post-game remarks, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe referred to Matthews as a “beast” on the ice. Following the narrow loss, Keefe praised both the Bruins’ strong performance and Matthews’ outstanding play throughout the game.
In this post, I’ll focus on the positives. I’d like to share two aspects of the game that are great news for the team and indicate that they’re getting closer to where they want to be this season.
The Maple Leafs scored two ugly goals against the Bruins.
My frequent co-author Stan Smith pointed out in an email about last night’s game that it defied the Maple Leafs’ reputation for scoring “pretty,” highlight-reel goals. Auston Matthews demonstrated a unique skill set by scoring two hard-fought, grind-it-out goals. The first goal came at a critical juncture in the game, when the Maple Leafs were trailing 2-0. Matthews Knies began the play by causing chaos in front of Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark, resulting in a scoring chance that Ullmark turned down.
Knies’ perseverance, however, paid off. He took his place in the slot. Matthews then showed off his playmaking abilities by intercepting a Boston clearing attempt and passing the puck to Simon Benoit at left point. Knies was discovered in the slot by Benoit. The rebound then landed on William Nylander’s stick, despite Ullmark’s attempt to reduce the angle. Despite Charlie McAvoy’s best efforts to stop Nylander’s shot, the puck found its way to Matthews. Matthews scored a tough, hard-earned goal.
With only six seconds remaining in regulation, the second determined goal tied the game. Nylander began the play from his blue line, sending the puck to Calle Jarnkrok along the right boards, with goalie Joseph Woll pulled for an extra attacker. Jarnkrok entered the Boston zone and passed to John Tavares, who collided with the Bruins’ goalie after being pushed by Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm. The puck squirted free to Mitch Marner, who set up Matthews in the same position as his first goal. Matthews made no mistake, putting the game into overtime.
Rather than the typical highlight-reel plays, these gritty, hard-working goals demonstrated the Maple Leafs’ ability to fight for the puck, win battles, and score greasy goals.
Goalie Joseph Woll has performed admirably this season. This season, Joseph Woll has been a standout for the Maple Leafs, consistently delivering solid games in the crease over the course of 13 games. He’s always been dependable, and he was again last night. However, Boston’s third goal was an outlier. Derek Forbort’s routine point shot, which came to Woll at a slow pace, eluded Woll’s glove. Woll believed he was in command.
The puck, however, bounced out and landed in front of Woll in the crease. Trent Frederic jumped on the puck and shoveled it into the net before he could react. Woll probably wishes he could relive that moment.
The overtime-winning goal, on the other hand, was the result of both bad luck and difficult circumstances. The game started with Nylander collapsing, resulting in a turnover. Woll came up big on a breakaway by David Pastrnak. He then attempted to deflect a pass intended for Brad Marchand. But he couldn’t, and the puck went into the net. Poor luck for the dedicated goalie. He was due better.
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