Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll have shredded Tampa in their young careers and the numbers back it up
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After giving up four goals on 12 shots in the first period, Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was pulled for the second straight game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in favour of rookie Joseph Woll. When Woll came in, the Leafs began to take control of the game. Woll gave up just 1 goal on 19 shots and helped the Leafs secure the 6-5 overtime win. Woll has given up just 1 goal on 46 shots against Tampa so far this season. Not only did Woll stabilize the net for the Leafs last night, but Matthew Knies provided some secondary offense while playing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
The pair of Leaf rookies seem to enjoy playing Tampa early in their careers based on the numbers. In 8 games against Tampa, including the playoffs, Knies has 3 goals and 10 points, while Woll has played 4 games, posting a 3-0 record with a .949 save percentage and one shutout.
Given that Woll has saved the Leafs from a pair of embarassing losses against Tampa this season already, it would be a shock to see Samsonov start either of the next two games against Tampa, even if they are at the end of the season. For Knies, his game last night was a coming out party of sorts. He proved to Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe that he belongs in the top-six, and specifically on the top line as he offers a skillset that helps Matthews and Marner and one that is heavily sought after across the NHL.
While Knies and Woll appear to be in the heads of the Lightning, are the Leafs as a team in the heads of Lighting players? Do the Leafs finally have a "who's your daddy?" team after eliminating them in the playoffs last year and mounting two multi-goal comeback wins this season? It could very well be the case, but we won't officially know until Andrei Vasilevskiy returns to the net for Tampa in their April matchups.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 7 | 343 ANSWERS Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll have shredded Tampa in their young careers and the numbers back it up Should Keefe have started Woll to begin the game last night, given how Samsonov's last game against Tampa went? | ||
| Yes | 257 | 74.9 % |
| No | 86 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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