The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 to close out their Florida swing, and the game was everything they could have asked for. With Auston Matthews returning to the lineup after a nine-game absence and some struggles with scoring at 5-on-5 despite the success during that span, it felt like the perfect time for him to return. And although he didn’t score any of their goals, all five of them came at even strength.
Earning a good chunk of the credit for the win is Joseph Woll, who is further feeding the narrative that the Maple Leafs might have the best goaltending in the league right now. It feels like it’s been an eternity since fans weren’t anxiously awaiting the announcement of who would be starting in goal, but having both Woll and Anthony Stolarz play as well as they have been so far has taken that element of stress away.
It’s unfortunate that the late push from the Lightning will hurt his goals-against average a little more, but 38 saves on 41 stops for the .927 save percentage should show how crucial he was to the win. There were many instances where the Lightning had a high-danger chance and could have swung the momentum in their direction before there were only eight minutes left in regulation, but Woll remained collected and kept his team in the game until the final buzzer.
The fountain of youth referenced in the title is a nod to Chris Tanev, who scored his first goal of the season and added an assist on the first goal of the game. His signing raised some alarm bells in the offseason due to the fact that he’s 34 years old (the horror!), but tonight’s game goes to show why he was signed in the first place. He’s objectively one of the best defensive defencemen in the league despite his age, and even if the annual number on his contract doesn’t look as flattering when he’s 38, the Leafs are paying the price for what they’ve gotten from him this season, not for the back end of it.
He was pivotal to the win on both sides of the puck, especially after Jake McCabe blocked a shot with his ear and left the game during the second period. It’s possible he was held out for precautionary reasons, but losing someone like him and seeing the three goals that followed gave the fans a shudder, considering how much they’ve already fought injuries so far this season.
The Maple Leafs remain one point back of the Florida Panthers for the Atlantic Division lead but have two games in hand, making this push for premium seeding and a clinch that would be the first in franchise history much more realistic. And the schedule will only ramp up from here, with four games next week starting with a home date against the Chicago Blackhawks.
