The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that their goalie Ilya Samsonov is injured and will not return. The injury occurred early in the second period in game three of the second-round playoff matchup with the Florida Panthers. Defenceman Luke Schenn was hustling back to block a play and ran hard into Samsonov. The Leafs have to rely on Joseph Woll for the outset of this third game. Going forward is anyone’s guess, but likely Woll is the front-runner.
Ilya Samsonov is heading to the dressing room after a pile-up during the second period. pic.twitter.com/O7OamT3H8C
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 7, 2023
The Ilya Samsonov Injury
Ilya Samsonov injury is an injury to the Leafs number-one goalie. He has played all but 20 minutes before game three of the Leafs playoff run thus far. His numbers have not been outstanding, but have been solid enough if the offence is rolling. Moreover, he has a 4-4 record thus far, supporting a 3.27 GAA with a .895 SV %. These numbers are not sparkling but did manage to get the team through the first round. The victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning was the franchise’s first trip to the second round since 2004. Samsonov played well in the series, to drop the Lightning in six games.
What This Means for the Leafs
Primarily for the Leafs, they will need to play responsibly. If Samsonov, who is their number one goalie, is out for a few games, they do have options. Woll has seen some action in these playoffs. Also, they have another competent backup in Erik Källgren. Källgren did see 10 games of regular season action this year. So Head Coach Sheldon Keefe has some options. Most important for the Leafs, will be their team’s defensive commitment level. This could work out to be beneficial for the team, to not rely on goaltending. Some of their deadline acquisitions like Jake McCabe, Erik Gustafsson, or Luke Schenn are all strong defensively. If the team can play a complete game, they should be able to get back into the series against the Florida Panthers.
Main Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
