Joseph Woll, Radko Gudas: The inside story of viral Leafs photo

Sure, an image can paint 1,000 phrases, however Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll‘s response to at least one specifically says a bit extra.

Woll was requested Tuesday if he’d seen that photograph of Florida defenceman Radko Gudas standing over him, screaming in his face, after the Panthers scored in additional time to eradicate the Leafs from the Stanley Cup playoffs in 5 video games.

Woll took the excessive highway.

“I’ve,” Woll mentioned. “He appears fairly pleased that he received.”

Then he laughed.

Shifting on goes with the territory of being a goalie.

The {photograph} took on a lifetime of its personal on Twitter and might be destined to be seen time and again as a meme. It was taken by Toronto Star award-winning photographer Steve Russell, who defined how and why he captured the picture.

“In playoff hockey, when a sport is shut within the third interval or in additional time, as a photographer, we begin enthusiastic about two issues: Jubilation and dejection.

“I’m which gamers are on the ice, and who’s most certainly put the puck within the internet, and when the opposite crew takes possession I’m on the goalie — the final line of defence.”

Russell recalled specializing in former Leafs goalie James Reimer in the course of the notorious collapse in opposition to the Boston Bruins in Recreation 7 of the 2013 playoffs, the place he was rewarded with what he known as a “sadly lovely photograph.”

Dropping one other sequence in additional time 10 years later offered Russell with a chance to seize the highly-emotional second.

“Once I noticed Gudas’ shoulders rise like he was sucking in air, I by no means anticipated him to set free some form of primal yell within the face of Woll.

“I used to be left with a photograph that was an ideal synopsis of one other Leafs season.”

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