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Craig Berube, Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Jarnkrok, Woll, Matthews & Robertson

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 12:35 PM ET

Well, so much for the conspiracy theory that the Florida Panthers are throwing games to meet the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Although, after last night’s game, that might be what the Panthers wish for. The Maple Leafs came up short against the Panthers in a 3-1 loss that was much more one-sided than the score suggests.

Florida played with urgency and hunger, outshooting the Maple Leafs 38-17. It felt like the entire game was spent in Toronto’s defensive zone. The Maple Leafs’ lackluster play was evident from the start, with two of Florida’s goals coming under avoidable circumstances. The first should have been stopped by Woll, who likely would have liked to have that one back. The second was a fluke, as a botched play by Morgan Rielly, where he jammed his stick behind the net, led to a lucky deflection right to Eetu Luostarinen in front.

Hats off to Woll. The score could have been even worse if not for his saves.

Item One: Florida Wanted to Prove Something

Florida, on the other hand, played like a team with something to prove. They fought for every inch, and the Maple Leafs couldn’t match that intensity. Could Toronto have been looking ahead to their more crucial matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight? Perhaps.

Coach Berube’s line usage hinted at some strategic shifts, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson (OEL) logging a team-high 21:57 in ice time and Nicholas Robertson seeing a limited 12:13. Maple Leafs fans might look for roster adjustments for tonight’s game. A silver lining for the Maple Leafs was the play of Calle Jarnkrok. While he didn’t register any points, Jarnkrok looked the best since his return from injury, making cleaner, more decisive plays with the puck.

Item Two: Joseph Woll: Strong Effort in Loss

Woll was a standout for the Maple Leafs, making 34 saves despite limited support from his teammates. While the Maple Leafs’ defence struggled, Woll did his best to keep the game close. His play was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing team effort, with his stability preventing what could have been an even worse score. His strong play between the pipes continues a stretch of impressive outings, following some rough games in late March.

Woll’s recent form has been impressive overall, as he’s posted a 4-1-0 record and allowed just 10 goals over five games leading up to this loss. His solid play last night underscores why the Maple Leafs are in good hands heading into the postseason. With Anthony Stolarz also providing reliable goaltending, the Maple Leafs’ goalie tandem has been among the best in the league. The team should be confident in whichever goalie gets most of the playoff workload.

Item Three: Auston Matthews Is the Next Great Goal Scorer in NHL History

Auston Matthews has already established himself as one of the most dominant goal scorers in NHL history. At just 27 years old, the Maple Leafs captain has already scored 397 goals in his career, with an impressive goals-per-game average of .638. With such a remarkable pace, Matthews (although he humbly notes he’s not in the same conversation) is poised to challenge Alex Ovechkin for the all-time goal-scoring crown.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Matthews is the best scorer of his generation. In the 2023-24 season, he fell just one goal short of hitting the 70-goal mark. If he can repeat that feat a few more times, the record books could be in his future. If Matthews maintains his current scoring pace for the next decade, he could surpass Ovechkin’s career total, reaching an astounding 920 goals by the time he’s 37.

Who knows where Ovechkin stops? If he plays next season, he’ll add to his record totals. Still, Matthews has the skills. The biggest questions are whether he wants to play that long and stay healthy enough to maintain this elite level of play. But with his natural talent, there’s every reason to believe he could be on a path to rewrite the NHL’s goal-scoring history.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs have a full game of video to analyze on how not to play against Florida, especially with the potential of facing them again in the playoffs. For now, though, the focus shifts to tonight’s critical game with Tampa Bay. A win could set them up to clinch first place with one more victory. Expect a much more intense and focused Maple Leafs team tonight. Last night just wasn’t their best hockey by any stretch.

[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]