Unheralded Goalies Have Won Championships
The days of requiring a workhorse, top-of-the-league goaltender to win a title are gone. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky are upper-echelon goalies who backstopped their teams to a Stanley Cup.
The other Cup-winning goalies are run-of-the-mill netminders. They did what was required to support the strong teams in front of them or raised their level of play at the right time. Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, Jordan Binnington, and Braden Holtby are lesser names that achieved titles.
Going back a bit further, current Leaf Matt Murray did the same as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has been a prime-time performer over the past two playoffs. An unfortunate injury sidelined him for Game 7 against the Bruins. Based on his brief playoff experience, he has shown to be just as capable as the unheralded goalies who have won a Cup.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have their issues, but they have strengths that make them a contender. Their players now understand the rigors of playoff hockey. They have multiple stars that are a necessity to win a championship. They have improved their blue line, giving it more balance and versatility.
The health and performance of Woll will be critically important. Tanev fighting off Father Time and elevating the defense will be key.
The positives can get overshadowed and sometimes lost in hockey-centric Toronto, but the Leafs are still a championship contender.