After back-to-back wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to carry that momentum over against the Dallas Stars. Overall, it is fair to say that they did, as they defeated the Stars by a 4-1 final score. When noting that the Stars are expected to be one of the top teams in the NHL this season, this was a big win for the Leafs. Let’s discuss three notable takeaways from the contest now.
Woll Dominates Again
While Ilya Samsonov has been rough so far this season, Joseph Woll has been nothing short of an excellent. He, of course, saved all 27 shots he faced in relief against the Lightning and then made 37 saves on 38 shots against the Capitals. This marvelous play translated over against the Stars in this one, too, as Woll saved 31 out of 32 shots. He now has a 3-1-0 record, a 1.33 goals-against average (GAA), and a .961 save percentage (SV%) on the season.
If Woll had not been on his game in this one, the score could have been far different. The Stars had several high-danger chances against the Maple Leafs, but the Missouri native stood on his head. His best save of the night, however, was when he robbed Stars superstar forward Jason Robertson with an outstanding streched save.
At this juncture, the Maple Leafs would be wise to continue playing the hot hand. Woll has played wonderfully this season, and if he keeps this kind of play up, he may emerge as the club’s starting goalie for the remainder of the campaign.
Maple Leafs’ Top Guns Show Up
The Maple Leafs’ offence was noticeably strong in this one. They created several chances and were able to cash in on them. Perhaps what is most impressive about their offence is that nine different players all got on the scoresheet.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 4-1 Win Over the Capitals
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The Maple Leafs’ first line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Calle Jarnkrok all had a point and meshed well together against the Stars. William Nylander and John Tavares extended their season-opening point streaks to seven games. Tyler Bertuzzi, who has had a bit of a slow start with his new club, potted his second goal of the season, while rookie Matthew Knies got an assist. Morgan Rielly led the way, however, potting a goal and adding an assist.
Top players will help win NHL teams games, and the Maple Leafs got just that against the Stars. The Maple Leafs’ scoring has been the strongest point of their season thus far, and it only continued in this contest.
McCabe Leaves Game Injured
While this was a hard-fought win for the Maple Leafs, things were not perfect for the club. Most notably, defenceman Jake McCabe left the game early due to a lower-body injury and did not return. Following the contest, head coach Sheldon Keefe also said to reporters that McCabe is questionable for the Maple Leafs’ next game.
McCabe only played 10 seconds in this contest, and Keefe confirmed that the left-shot defenseman pulled something early on into his first shift. The hope is that McCabe’s injury is nothing too serious and that he won’t have to miss any serious time. Although the 30-year-old has had a bit of a slow start to the season, he is expected to be a key part of the Maple Leafs’ defence because of his physicality and steady play.
Alas, besides the McCabe injury, this was a great game for the Maple Leafs. They improved to a 5-2-0 record and beat one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They will now look to carry that momentum over to their matchup against Ryan O’Reilly and the Nashville Predators on Oct. 28. Although the Predators have had a slow start to the season, they cannot be taken lightly, as they have some good talent and are well-rested, having not played since Oct. 24.