May 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) sits on the ice after a goal by Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist (70) during the second period of game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs Goalie Joins Franchise Legend With Latest Win

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated May 17, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll stopped all 22 Florida Panthers shots on goal in Game 6. The shutout performance kept the Leafs alive and forced a Game 7 back in Toronto to decide the second team in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Maple Leafs are getting the best version of Woll at the perfect time. After the team lost starting goalie Anthony Stolarz earlier in the series, Woll has stepped up. The shutout in Florida swung the momentum in Toronto's favor and landed the 26-year-old netminder on an exclusive franchise list.

The last time a Maple Leafs' goalie posted a shutout in an elimination game was 23 years prior, when the legendary Curtis Joseph shut out the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals. Woll joined that list with his 22-save performance in Game 6 against the Panthers.

Joseph Woll becomes the first Leafs goaltender since CuJo to post a shutout when facing elimination.

CuJo's playoff shutout ➡️ ECF Game 5 (2002) pic.twitter.com/Jb1e8S6T9P
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 17, 2025

Woll now hopes his shutout yields better results in the following game. In 2002, the Hurricanes followed up their Game 5 loss with a win over the Leafs, heartbreakingly eliminating them. That win sent the Canes to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they would ultimately be routed in five games by a powerhouse Detroit Red Wings team.

The Leafs are in a similar situation once again in 2025. A loss in Game 7 would end their season dramatically, and it would conclude another failed campaign. Woll is coming off the best game of his NHL career, improving his record in the postseason to 3-3 with a 3.28 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. He also saved the team's season.

He now must avoid a letdown game in a winner-take-all situation. If he can build on what he did during Game 6, the Leafs will be in an excellent position to take down the defending champions and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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