The Toronto Maple Leafs were back at it last night, taking on the Vancouver Canucks in Toronto. This game had a little bit of everything – goals, fights and some top-shelf goaltending from the Maple Leafs’ Joseph Woll. It was a game the Maple Leafs went on to win handily, taking down the Canucks 5-0 for Woll’s second shutout of the season.
The win also pushed the Maple Leafs’ point streak to 10 games and inches them even closer to a playoff spot, putting them within a point of both wildcard spots. It might’ve been the team’s best performance this season, with all four lines running and playing nearly a full 60 minutes. The win comes with a lot to unfold. So, with that, here are some of the biggest takeaways from last night’s victory.
William Nylander Returned to Form
Last season’s breakaway king returned for his first game with the Maple Leafs since December 27. Even having been out of the lineup, William Nylander still led the team in points entering this one and picked up right where he left off.
William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
He played just over 13 minutes in the win and factored into the team’s first goal on the powerplay just eight minutes into the game – Matias Maccelli’s seventh goal of the season. Nylander followed that up with his 15th of the season with less than a minute to go in the first period and added another helper on John Tavares’ 16th of the season 13 minutes into the second period.
The three-point return gives the 29-year-old 44 points in 34 games this season and gives the Maple Leafs hope that their lineup is finally getting fully healthy for the first time this season. However, his one shot in the game is still something the team would like to see increase, but it’s hard to argue with a three-point night in a 5-0 win.
Domi, Cowan Bringing Physical Play
On the other side of the puck, the Maple Leafs also had two dust-ups with the Canucks as the play got chippy at times throughout the game – something the Maple Leafs need from their entire lineup. This time around, the enforcement came from one likely source and another not so expected – Max Domi and Easton Cowan.
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Now, Cowan’s was more of a scuffle. Nonetheless, his willingness to get involved and play with an ability to get under the skin of his opponents is part of what makes his game so successful. His scuffle after the whistle demonstrated how much he’ll put on the line for his teammates and that was evident by the smiles and reactions by his teammates on the bench, cheering the rookie on.
Toronto Maple Leafs Max Domi (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
As for Domi, he’s another player that is more successful offensively when he’s getting involved in the game physically. Not only did he record his 100th point as a member of the Maple Leafs with his first period goal, but he came up just an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. Again, the praise in the room from Craig Berube after the victory is telling of how much the physical play means to the club on an overall basis.
Woll Continues to Stand Tall
Finally, maybe the most satisfying part of the win, was another strong performance from Woll. He made 29 saves for his second shutout of the season and second since December 30. It was his 10th win of the season after starting the season away from the club giving him a record of 10-4-2.
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Woll bettered his numbers on the season to a 2.52 goals against average (GAA) and .921 save percentage (SV%) in 17 games this season. But the win carries more for a team who wasn’t sure about their goaltending at one point this season.
With Woll starting the season away from the team and injuries plaguing Anthony Stolarz’s year, the weight of the season was falling on guys like Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. But with Woll’s return and the platooning of the net with Hildeby as of late, the Maple Leafs have found themselves in a good spot goaltending-wise once again.
As for Woll, he’s 3-1-1 in his last five games and continues to be a talking point for the team as they push to get back into the conversation in the NHL’s Atlantic Division.
