After dropping back-to-back games to the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to end their losing streak and secure two points against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 28. After Evan Rodrigues scored in the shootout, the Maple Leafs thought that they were unsuccessful with their efforts. However, his goal would be reviewed and overturned, and Noah Gregor then stole the game for Toronto, thus ending their losing streak. It proved to be a whacky finish to an entertaining contest between two good teams, and here are three takeaways from the game.
Giordano Goes Down With Injury
While the Maple Leafs won this contest, not everything about it was great. The injury bug presented itself in this one yet again for Toronto, as veteran defenceman Mark Giordano left the contest early after suffering an upper-body injury. Following the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe also told reporters that the 40-year-old will “miss some time.”
This is certainly concerning news for the Maple Leafs, as they are already dealing with injuries on their blue line. With that, Giordano has been playing bigger minutes, and while he has not been dominant, he has been steady and dependable for the most part. Thus, losing him is not ideal in the slightest for the Original Six club.
However, even down a defenceman for the majority of this game, the Maple Leafs still took this contest against a strong Panthers team. Now, they will need to continue to adjust without Giordano in their lineup from here.
Woll’s Impressive Performance
Moving on to a positive talking point, Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll was marvelous during this contest. The rookie netminder faced a hungry Panthers team and stood on his head for the vast majority of the contest. On the night, he saved 38 out of 39 shots and was a significant reason for the Maple Leafs getting to overtime and the shootout.
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Woll should not be blamed for the lone goal he allowed during regulation, either. The Panthers were extremely aggressive on the forecheck, and Woll made a few saves on close shots before Kevin Stenlund eventually put home a Jonah Gadjovich rebound. Yet, after this first-period tally, Woll was lights out, even after facing several high-danger chances throughout the game.
With this impressive performance, Woll now sports a 7-5-0 record, a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA), and a .916 save percentage (SV%) in 12 appearances. If he keeps playing like this, his already solid numbers will only improve.
Shootout Madness
As mentioned above, the Maple Leafs thought that they had lost this game after Rodrigues scored in the shootout. Woll had already returned to the dressing room while the eventual shootout hero Gregor was heading down the tunnel. However, much to the glee of the Maple Leafs, Rodrigues’ goal would be taken back due to a “double-tap,” and the Maple Leafs took advantage and stole the game with Gregor’s goal.
You don’t see game-winning goals in the shootout being taken back often, so this certainly made the end of this contest quite interesting. Thankfully for the Maple Leafs, the call ended up working in their favour and they did not fail to deliver on their grand second chance.
Alas, this was an entertaining game between two Atlantic Division rivals. With this win, the Maple Leafs have improved to an 11-6-3 record. They will look to keep the wins coming on Nov. 30 when they face off against the Seattle Kraken.