The two teams traded chances to start the third, with both Woll and Jet Greaves holding firm. Woll in particular was forced to make several highlight saves to keep the match tied before ultimately being defeated again by Werenski as Columbus took its first lead of the game with less than seven minutes left in the third period. It was a deflating blow for the Leafs, who had generated their share of chances with their own goaltender standing on his head in a game they desperately needed.
But adversity is nothing new for the 2025-2026 Leafs, and they kept pushing as the third period came to a close. With just over three minutes left on the clock, Tavares made a great second attempt to keep a puck alive for Nylander behind the net, and Nylander found Cowan on the side of the net to tie the game. It was a nice finish for the rookie striker, but the goal was the result of another hard-working move from Tavares.
Things weren’t exactly smooth sailing from there either, with Woll having to go big again with a couple of clutch stops immediately after his club had drawn. He was tested again in overtime and his final stop of the match was his 35th of the evening, before Nylander found some space at the end of a long shift and fired home the match winner.
Woll robs Wood twice in a row after the Leafs tie the game
It was far from a perfect performance from the Leafs on Wednesday night, but this is exactly the kind of win that can help a team pull itself out of a rough stretch. There was a lot to like about the way they were able to create quality looks around the opponent’s net, and while Woll had to be their best player, the Leafs also did a good job of keeping a lot of shots outside.
When a team has struggled as much this season as the Leafs have so far, sometimes they just need an ugly one to right the ship. They still have a long way to go to get where they want to be, but they just needed something to feel good about right now.
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