Playoff Player Grades for Each of the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs looked great in the regular season and appeared to be poised to go on a long playoff run.

Unfortunately, it was cut short when they ran into some hot goaltending. While the Toronto Maple Leafs broke their playoff drought, the players didn’t achieve their ultimate goal of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Mug.

The Leafs went through two very physical series where the players put their bodies on the line every night. While some played better than others, every single one of Toronto’s athletes deserve praise for their efforts.

How did everyone play? Let’s evaluate.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltenders

Ilya Samsonov

Ilya Samsonov was the Leafs primary goaltender before a collision in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers forced him out with an injury. He was hurt when his own defenceman, Luke Schenn slid into him after diving to knock away a puck Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe.

With the exception of his first game of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Samsonov was excellent. In fact, an argument could be made that at times, he was Toronto’s best player. In the nine playoff games he played, Samsonov posted a  save percentage of .898 and a goals-against average of 3.13.

Player Grade: A-

Joseph Woll

After Samsonov was forced out of action, it was a 24 year-old rookie goaltender who took over. Joseph Woll had the pressure of the entire Greater Toronto Area on his shoulders as he stood between the pipes. If he felt that pressure or was at all anxious, it didn’t show.

Woll played exceptionally well. He was aggressive in his positioning, trying to ensure that he always takes away as much of the net as possible from the shooters. It worked well for Woll who kept the Leafs into each of the games he played.

Player Grade: A