Woll Shines as Maple Leafs Edge Closer to Division Crown with Win Over Hurricanes
What a night for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they put on a composed, clinical performance in Raleigh and took down the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4–1 victory. And the star of the show? Joseph Woll. The guy was absolutely dialed in, stopping 25 shots and giving the Leafs the kind of goaltending you need as the postseason looms.
This win wasn't just another notch on the belt—it marked Toronto's 50th of the season and brought them within striking distance of clinching the Atlantic Division. They're sitting at 104 points, and Tampa Bay can only match that at best. That’s how close this team is to locking it all up.
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The Leafs didn’t exactly come out flying in this one. For nearly 19 minutes of the first period, they had just one shot on goal. One. But it only took one more to make something happen. With 17 seconds left in the first, Pontus Holmberg cleaned up a rebound and got the Leafs on the board. That late goal completely shifted the momentum.
Then the floodgates started to ease open. Auston Matthews did what he does best—find the back of the net. William Nylander got his 45th of the season, which is huge since he hadn’t scored since April 5 against Columbus. And captain John Tavares added another to seal the deal. Morgan Rielly? He was the quiet MVP on the scoresheet, racking up three assists and setting the tone offensively.
Carolina, meanwhile, just couldn’t find their rhythm. They’ve now lost five of their last six, and it’s the third time in five games that they’ve been held to one goal or less. Sebastian Aho managed to break through on a power play in the third, but by then, it was too little, too late. Frederik Andersen had a tough night, stopping 16 shots but taking his third straight loss.
It’s a tough stretch for the Canes, especially since they’ve been so dominant at home—finishing the regular season with a 31-9-1 record in Raleigh. But Toronto didn’t blink. Even with limited shots early on, they capitalized when it counted, which is exactly what good playoff teams do.
Next up, the Leafs will head to Buffalo to wrap up their road schedule, and the Hurricanes will try to get back on track when they take on Montreal.
This late-season push from Toronto has been impressive. With the playoffs around the corner, they're heating up at the perfect time—and Woll just might be the x-factor they need in net.
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