If it weren’t already challenging enough, stepping into Anthony Stolarz’s footsteps… It looks like Joseph Woll, the goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs, needs to tweak his ice time with another goalie. Absolutely, a backup! That’s great for the Maple Leafs, but it might overshadow Woll a bit. Before the important Game 4 against the Florida Panthers, Luke Fox shared some news on X about what’s happening in the Maple Leafs locker room. He mentioned, “Matt Murray will back up Joseph Woll tonight.”

So, it looks like the decision was made after some chatter started in the Toronto Maple Leafs locker room about Woll’s performance and the overall goaltending depth. What’s the deal here? After Game 3, head coach Craig Berube shared his thoughts on Woll’s performance, saying, “I thought he was really good. I don’t love the fourth goal. But other than that, I thought he was solid.”

Berube had some nice things to say about Woll, but when he brought up that one goal he wished had been saved, it kind of showed that the coaching staff knows the pressure is building on their young goalie. Woll, stepping in after Anthony Stolarz got injured, has been struggling a bit with an average save percentage under .870 in the series.

That Game 3 overtime loss really raised some eyebrows about whether he can handle the pressure of a playoff workload in such tough situations. By bringing in Matt Murray, a veteran goaltender with plenty of NHL playoff experience, Toronto is showing that they want some backup in case Woll has another tough time. Even though Woll is still the starter, having Murray on the bench gives the team a solid backup option and might even lift their spirits a bit.

It shows that the Maple Leafs are ready to make changes when needed to keep their championship dreams alive and put a stop to the Panthers’ momentum. To what extent, therefore, can the Maple Leafs benefit from Murray?

Having Matt Murray as a backup will benefit the Toronto Maple Leafs

Matt Murray’s NHL journey has really been shaped by his incredible playoff success, which makes him stand out as one of the most clutch goaltenders in the league during his time. Murray was picked 83rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012, and he really made a name for himself during the 2015-16 season. As a newcomer, he stepped into the Penguins’ goal late in the season when Marc-André Fleury got hurt, and he guided Pittsburgh through the playoffs with a calmness that belied his age.

That year, Murray had an impressive 15-6 record, boasting a .923 save percentage and a 2.08 goals-against average, helping the Penguins secure their fourth Stanley Cup championship. Murray managed to pull off the same amazing achievement the next season, which is pretty impressive! During the 2017 playoffs, he came back from injury and took back his starting position, playing a key role in helping Pittsburgh win consecutive Cups — something that’s pretty uncommon in the salary-cap era.

After his championship years, though, Murray faced some tough times with injuries and inconsistency. He started off with Pittsburgh and then moved to the Ottawa Senators, where he ultimately had his contract bought out. The Toronto Maple Leafs picked him up in 2022, looking for him to get back to his playoff form. Even though injuries have plagued his time in Toronto, Murray’s experience in the postseason is still a big asset, particularly for a team that really needs to find success in the playoffs.