Postgame Report: Maple Leafs Shut it Down and Beat Capitals 4-1
Welcome to my Toronto Maple Leafs postgame report where I give you my thoughts, feelings, and analysis about each Leafs game. Whether you missed the game or want my opinion on what transpired, I’ve got you covered.
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Now, onto the Maple Leafs’ game versus the Capitals!
1st Period - Joseph “the Brick” Woll
Joseph Woll—enough said. He has been amazing in the last four periods. Tonight, he faces the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin, who is hungry for a goal. So far, Woll is up to the task. He has stopped all 16 Capitals’ shots, including Ovechkin’s SEVEN powerplay shots. If he continues at this pace, he will be the starter for the Toronto Maple Leafs before the small Christmas break.
Morgan Rielly finds the back of the net on the Maple Leafs’ powerplay on a dish from Timothy Liljegren. The second unit only sees about 20 minutes of the powerplay, and they made it worthwhile. The Maple Leafs’ penalty kill has been good this game. T.J. Brodie and the aforementioned Liljegren have been tasked with covering Ovechkin and his wicked slapshot. They have been doing an excellent job of giving him space to make him think that he can get the shot off, but then closing the gap and blocking it.
Overall, the first period wasn’t overly eventful. Sheldon Keefe used his timeout less than 5 minutes into the game to give him more time to decide if they were going to challenge a goal. Of course, it worked; he is now 16/17 in his career at coaching challenges and has been successful in his last 10. This is a good building block-type period; let’s hope the Maple Leafs can keep it going throughout the game.
2nd Period - Will Nye the Styles Guy
Well, that was fun! The Maple Leafs came out ready to play after the first period and showed the Capital that they aren’t on the same level as them. Johnny T, Willy Styles, and Matthews all got on the board in the second while putting on an offensive explosion.
Again, I’m sure I sound like a broken record lately, but Woll is outstanding! Unfortunately, his shutout was ruined after Ovechkin scored on what seemed like his 100th shot of the game. He has shown Keefe and his coaching staff that he should earn another start. He has been solid tonight; from his rebound control to his pushing across to stop one-timers, he has done it all very well. The third period for him could be the biggest of the night, although he may not face as many shots as he did in the first. The Capitals will be coming out flying to attempt to tie the game. All Woll needs to do is play his game and stay calm; the Capitals still need to score three goals to tie.
3rd Period - Shutting it Down
That was exactly what you wanted to see as a Maple Leafs’ fan. Keefe kept rolling the four lines one after another, and together they played very well defensively. There isn’t too much to say about the third period tonight. The boys shut it down and held the Capitals to only one goal, even though they faced 37 total shots.
The only thing that was missing from this game or period was a Ryan Reaves and Tom Wilson scrap! These two have a history of some very bad blood, but unfortunately, there was none of it. All in all, a very good game for the boys in blue!
Final Thoughts:
Woll deserves the start against the Dallas Stars on Thursday
Nylander and Tavares are playing out of their minds
Maple Leafs need to remember this game - lock it down defensively