The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 2-0 in a must-win Game 6 on Friday night, forcing Game 7 and extending their postseason lives.
It took little time for the NHL to take to social media Friday night to celebrate Joseph Woll’s historic Game 6 shutout, posting an image of the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender with a strong caption.
“JOSEPH W🚫LL,” the league posted on X.
Woll stopped all 22 shots he faced at Amerant Bank Arena to keep the Maple Leafs alive and send their second-round series to a Game 7 back in Canada.
Making his performance more impressive, it was Woll's first career playoff shutout.
“This is a pretty special opportunity for our team," Woll said. “We felt good going in. We know our process and we’re going to carry that through."
Team captain Auston Matthews, who scored Toronto's game-winning goal, praised Woll for lifting the Leafs on Friday.
“[Woll] made some big saves,” Matthews said. “I thought we competed hard and obviously broke through in the third. We gritted it out. Really proud of all the guys in the room from top to bottom. We stuck together.”
Matthews' game-winning goal, meanwhile, was his first of the series, a low shot that beat Sergei Bobrovsky five-hole after a neutral zone turnover. It was a breakthrough moment after five games without a goal.
“Feels good. Always feels good,” Matthews said about the win. “Just to get that win feels great. Obviously the job’s not done yet… but we got one more job to finish.”
Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) and goaltender Joseph Woll (60) celebrate a win.
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Max Pacioretty, who added the insurance goal late in the third, summed up the team’s mindset heading into the decisive game.
“We’re going to war,” Pacioretty said.
Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and Panthers is scheduled for Sunday at Scotiabank Arena, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
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