Maple Leafs Confirm Starting Goaltender Ahead of Divisional Bout Against the Lightning
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski - USA Today Sports
After having lost 3 consecutive contests, the Toronto Maple Leafs have run up a modest 2-game winning streak on the back of two third period surges.
Then, just a pair of nights later, they scored 5 goals in the third period as a part of a run of 7 unanswered goals to take down the Canadiens Montreal.
Ahead of tonight's divisional bout against their
Atlantic Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lighting, Craig Berube is confirmed to be rolling back to the hot hand of
Joseph Woll as he earns his 4th straight start.
Overall, the 26-year-old holds a 16-8-0 record with a 2.68 GAA and a .907 SV%. Before his recent bump in the road, Woll ripped off 5 straight wins while allowing just 10 goals on 152 shots, which included key victories against the likes of Boston and Detroit.
Tonight's matchup is important for a variety of reasons, but perhaps none more so than the fact that the Lightning have 3 games in hand on the Maple Leafs and are currently 7 points back from top spot in the Atlantic Division.
A regulation win from the Maple Leafs tonight extends their lead on Tampa Bay by 9 points even with their 3 games in hand, but conversely, a Lightning win would have them within 5 points of Toronto.
Woll was in goal the last time these two teams faced off against one another at the end of November. He made 38 saves on 41 shots as the Leafs were just able to keep the Lightning's comeback efforts at bay.
Toronto jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before Tampa Bay scored 3 goals in the third period to cut the deficit back to 1. Woll played very well as he was forced to stop 15 shots in the final frame and more of the same might be needed tonight against the likes of
Nikita Kucherov and
Brayden Point.
Expect fireworks tonight, as is generally the case when these two teams face-off, with Woll looking for his 5th career victory in 6 attempts against the Lightning.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
POLL |
JANVIER 20 | 1838 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Confirm Starting Goaltender Ahead of Divisional Bout Against the Lightning Will the Toronto Maple Leafs make it 3 straight victories after tonight? |
Yes | 1554 | 84.5 % |
No | 284 | 15.5 % |
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