{"id":329552,"date":"2025-12-05T14:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/329552\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T14:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:19:11","slug":"leafs-crease-calamity-could-be-momentum-killer-after-win-over-canes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/329552\/","title":{"rendered":"Leafs’ crease calamity could be momentum killer after win over Canes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/p>\n

Sports<\/a>Hockey<\/a>NHL<\/a>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a><\/p>\n

Our Takeaways from the triumph on Tobacco Road<\/p>\n

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Published Dec 05, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n

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\"CarolinaCarolina Hurricanes’ William Carrier (28) is tied up by Toronto Maple Leafs’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson and looses the puck on the way to Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo\/Karl DeBlaker)Article content<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hardly the first time an injured goaltender cast a pall over a run of Maple Leafs\u2019 success.<\/p>\n

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Their best road trip of five games or more since 2007, capped by a third-straight win Thursday, 5-1 in Carolina, was clouded by a lower-body injury to Joseph Woll<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If it\u2019s significant and not precautionary, since the Leafs were up three when he didn\u2019t come out for the third period, it leaves them without two experienced stoppers, Woll and Anthony Stolarz, who has not been on skates for weeks as he battles his own upper body ailment.<\/p>\n

It tops our Takeaways from the triumph on Tobacco Road:<\/p>\n

SAY IT AIN\u2019T SO, JOE<\/p>\n

Lower-body issues have sidelined Woll before and it appeared his left hip or leg was in discomfort in the final minutes of the second period.<\/p>\n

He did finish the frame and while coach Craig Berube was his usual tight-lipped self when players go down \u2014 \u201cwe\u2019ll see tomorrow, hopefully it\u2019s not (long term),\u201d he told reporters in Raleigh \u2014 the response of teammates coming out of the room seemed to indicate it was not dire.<\/p>\n

\"opening<\/p>\n

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\u201cHopefully it\u2019s nothing serious on Joe,\u201d\u00a0captain Auston Matthews<\/a> said. \u201cHe\u2019s someone who looks after himself very well. But we have all the confidence in all the goalies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennis Hildeby finished up and fortunately for the Leafs, the towering Swede has played well himself, quite used to relief appearances. After Woll stopped 22 of 23 shots, having come into Thursday with a .947 save percentage the past three games, the \u2018Hildebeast\u2019 made nine stops in a determined Canes\u2019 push to open the third.<\/p>\n

After Hildeby, it would be Artur Akhtyamov, a 24-year-old second year Marlie, but it will likely be Saturday morning before the secretive Leafs give an update on Woll.<\/p>\n

\u201dIt sucks because he\u2019s kind of been the backbone of our team on this road trip,\u201d Matthew Knies said of Woll. \u201cBut Hildeby\u2019s been placed in some hard situations this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Goalies tend to grow up fast in this town.<\/p>\n

TWO KNIES PLAYS LEAD TO GOALS<\/p>\n

The Toronto bench was in awe when Knies pulled away from a pair of Canes trying to drag him down and still had positioning to draw on his backhand and beat Frederik Andersen in the second period.<\/p>\n

Get used to seeing that highlight a few times on TV and at Scotiabank Arena. Knies put on the full power forward show, skating hard after he saw Shane Gostisbehere lost his stick, then dipping his shoulder to ward off Sebastian Aho.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to create some space,\u201d Knies said modestly.<\/p>\n

But he wasn\u2019t done, breaking up a dangerous pass during Carolina pressure with an active stick, sending away Matthews and Max Domi while surreptitiously blocking a defender from disrupting their well-executed 2-on-1.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how many guys are draped all over him,\u201d Matthews praised.\u00a0\u201cHe\u2019s such a big body, he\u2019s so strong, he just shrugs it off.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the third line getting on the board again, it\u2019s vital the first unit does not sit back as Knies came up with his second multi-point game on the trip. Everyone knows he and Matthews can score, so it\u2019s up to Domi to prove he fits there on this latest assignment to replace some of Mitch Marner\u2019s offence. Domi is finally clicking.<\/p>\n

He has five points in three games since sitting out one and while he likes to defer when he has a chance to shoot, there\u2019s no one better to feed than Matthews, now up to 11 goals.<\/p>\n

SPACE RACE<\/p>\n

Since everyone wanted to make a big deal of the standings when the Leafs fell briefly into last place, how about them coming home for a stretch just five points out of first in the Atlantic Division?<\/p>\n

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Yes, they still have a number of teams to climb over, but now the leading Tampa Bay Lightning has been slowed by a two-game losing streak and Toronto is suddenly the division\u2019s hottest club. Toronto plays the\u00a0Bolts on Monday.<\/p>\n

The road record of 4-2 was Toronto\u2019s best win total of a trip of five games or more since Paul Maurice was their coach and will do wonders for confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll four lines are getting it done, it doesn\u2019t matter who is scoring, everyone is chipping in with the little things,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cWe have to keep that momentum on home ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the game, Berube was glad of the timing of the trip, given the increased noise level at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe group (bonds) well, the better the games are as a result,\u201d the coach said.<\/p>\n

Had they not let down late in the Washington game, the haul of points would\u2019ve been even better.<\/p>\n

lhornby@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

X: @sunhornby<\/p>\n

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