Woll’s 33 saves, two SHG goals, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs completed 7-3 comeback win over Montreal Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their second win in a row, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 7-3 on Saturday at the Bell Centre. Joseph Woll played an exceptional game, making several acrobatic saves, particularly in the third period.

The Canadiens built a 3-0 lead in the first. Then, the Toronto Maple Leafs stormed back with seven unanswered goals, sealing the win with a shorthanded goal during a 6-4 penalty kill.

Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson (PPG), William Nylander, Oliver Ekman-Larsson (PPG), Auston Matthews (SHG), Steven Lorentz, and David Kampf (SHG, EN) scored the goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine (PPG), and Josh Anderson scored for the Habs.

So, let’s take a look at the three main reasons why they came back to win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs won over Montreal Canadiens

#3 Special teams steps up

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their special teams humming along. First, the Leafs’ power play went 2-for-4 on the night, getting two huge tallies from Nick Robertson and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

On the flip side, the Leafs’ penalty kill went 4-for-5. While the Leafs gave up a power play goal, the penalty kill scored two shorthanded goals. The first was a rocket from captain Auston Matthews with the other coming from David Kampf during a 6-on-4 penalty kill in the dying moments of the game.

Overall, the Leafs’ special teams account for four of the seven goals the Leafs scored on the evening, making a significant difference.

#2 Epic comeback

The Toronto Maple Leafs were down 3-0 at the end of 20 minutes and seemed listless against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs outshot the Leafs 12-8 in the first period, but that would be the end of their dominance on Saturday night.

The Leafs came out charging in the second period, scoring twice to close the gap to within one goal. William Nylander then tied the game early in the third, opening the floodgates for three more goals. The Leafs ended up scoring four in the third to seal an epic comeback.

Unfortunately for Montreal, they could not muster any offense to get back into the game in the third. While they had their chances, the Leafs played solid defense in front of Joseph Woll to preserve the win.

#1 Joseph Woll kept the Leafs alive

Joseph Woll was the story of the night for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Woll made 33 saves on the night, turning in several highlight-reel saves.

In particular, Woll made a desperate, diving stop in the third, robbing Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki of a sure goal with a wide-open net. Woll dove across the crease, managing to get the knob of his stick on the puck and deflecting it away. Woll stood tall down the stretch as the Canadiens pushed to tie the game, sealing the win for Toronto.

The Leafs will get the day off on Sunday before taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night at the Scotiabank Arena.