4 Tips from Leafs-Red Wings: Joseph Woll Reacts Strongly on Losing Efforts

Scott Laughton opened the scoring, connecting with Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz via a tic-tac-toe sequence. Simon Edvinsson equalized in the final minute of the first frame, and the remainder of regulation was scoreless.

Here are four lessons from the Maple Leafs’ loss to the Red Wings:

Joseph Woll responds emphatically to losing effort

Joseph Woll seemed pretty nonchalant after Monday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild, where he was pulled after two periods. This might have been a good thing. Woll shook off Monday’s game and put in an excellent performance for the Maple Leafs, where it’s a shame his team couldn’t secure two points.

Woll was under siege for the entire first period, and this might be the best example: Woll stretched out to rob Lucas Raymond, the Red Wings reset behind the net, passed the puck to JT Compher in the slot, and the Maple Leafs goaltender was back up.

Woll made another smart save on Moritz Seider during the second period, and was completely locked up. He continually fought through Red Wings forwards with the intent of getting into his crease and blocking his view. Had the Maple Leafs managed to hold on for the win, Woll almost certainly would have received the team belt. He has filled his role as the No. 1 starter, but Dennis Hildeby should get the start for Friday’s game if Anthony Stolarz is not cleared to return.

“Great reaction from him. He was really good. He made a lot of good saves, including on their power play. He gave us a chance to win tonight,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Woll after the game.

A brutal mistake from Easton Cowan

We won’t be too hard on Easton Cowan on this one. He’s a 20-year-old rookie who has exceeded expectations in the loudest hockey market in the world. He has been a consistent force for a decidedly erratic Leafs team. We take no pleasure in writing that Cowan’s costly blunder cost the Leafs the game in overtime.

Cowan skated out of the offensive zone while trying to buy time for his team in 3-on-3. It’s not entirely the worst strategy, but he was outdone by Seider, a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy. Seider bodyd Cowan pretty easily, found Larkin for a breakaway and the game was over. It reflected poor situational awareness from a confident rookie prone to playing smart. It just wasn’t his night.

“I thought he played really well tonight,” Berube said of Cowan after the game. “He’s doing good things, and then there are things he needs to do better. He’s a typical young player in the league. There are plays where he has to recognize that there’s nothing there and make a strong play. But he’s making plays, and he made some good plays again tonight.”

“It’s normal for a young guy to be where he is now. He needs to get stronger and make better decisions sometimes.”

Scott Laughton continues to rise in stature for the Maple Leafs

Unfortunately for Laughton, he lost his grip during the penalty shot, and the puck slid idly away for an easy save.

“I was too tired, I should have faked a broken stick and let Matthews get it,” Laughton said after the match.

Laughton looks like the player the Leafs were hoping to acquire at last year’s deadline, and while there will always be hagiographical portraits of what could have happened regarding the team’s asset management, the 30-year-old center has been a consistent asset for the Leafs. Once again, Laughton’s status continues to rise with the Maple Leafs.

No update on Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s lower-body injury

“Lower body now. I’ll know more tomorrow after they evaluate him and we’ll see where he’s at,” Berube said after the game.

Ekman-Larsson is in the midst of a resurgent campaign. He has played in a variety of roles for the Leafs while exuding real leadership and a calm, physical disposition. We will have to know until Friday whether Ekman-Larsson will be out for a long time.

PRESENTED BY VIVID CHAIRS