Joseph Woll's 36 Saves and Nylander's Two Goals Propel Leafs to Triumph Over Stars
Joseph Woll recorded 36 saves for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Woll had an impressive game the day after the Maple Leafs revealed that goalie Anthony Stolarz would undergo knee surgery and be sidelined for 4-6 weeks.
William Nylander netted two goals, while Nicholas Robertson contributed a goal and an assist for Toronto (20-10-2), which has achieved victories in two consecutive games and four out of five.
At 5:14 of the first period, Sam Steel scored to give Dallas a 1-0 advantage by skating down the ice and firing the puck high to the stick side from near the crease. Max Domi equalized at 1-1 at 6:13 with a shot from the left face-off circle following a turnover he created in the neutral zone.
Evgenii Dadonov scored for Dallas just 22 seconds into the second period, putting them ahead 2-1 with a shot from the right face-off circle. Nylander equalized at 2-2 at 5:15 with a high glove-side shot from the slot, receiving an assist from Auston Matthews during the rush.
Robertson put Toronto ahead 3-2 at 5:31 with a shot from the high slot, taking advantage of a failed clearing attempt by Mason Marchment.
At 11:01, Bobby McMann extended Toronto’s lead to 4-2 with a shot from the upper part of the right face-off circle. Colin Blackwell reduced the deficit to 4-3 at 17:44 with a backdoor tap-in while Casey DeSmith was off for the extra skater.
Nylander netted his second goal of the game, marking his 20th of the season, into an open net at 18:17 for the final score of 5-3.
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Toronto coach Craig Berube shared his insides on the performance of Joseph Woll for his exceptional play during the game, emphasizing his key contribution to the team’s win. Berube highlighted that Woll’s performance was especially important considering the power of their rivals, the Dallas Stars, recognized for their impressive home record.
“[Woll] was great tonight, We needed him to be really good against a real good team at home. They’ve got a good home record, they’re hard to beat. We needed him to be good and he was. That gives our team confidence too, it plays a lot into it.” : Toronto coach Craig Berube said.
Joseph Woll also reflected on the team’s performance and mentioned their skill in capitalizing on scoring chances, especially during pivotal moments in the game. He highlighted the team’s defensive performance in the third period, mentioning crucial blocked shots and a unified effort to keep control and defend their lead.
“I think we did a real good job capitalizing on our chances, Especially in the third, I think we had some big blocks and shut it down for the most part. I think when you get up like that and you’re able to hold the lead and tighten it up defensively, it’s always nice.” : Woll said.
Woll observed that finishing a game with strong defensive play not only guarantees victory but also highlights the team’s tenacity and composure in challenging situations.
Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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