Starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov is unavailable to the Toronto Maple Leafs after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers.
Starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov is unavailable to the Toronto Maple Leafs after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers.
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Toronto Maple Leafs are putting their faith in Joseph Woll in net as the rookie goaltender is set to make his first NHL playoff start when the club takes on the Florida Panthers in a must-win Game 4.
Toronto's regular starter — Ilya Samsonov — was injured in the second period of Toronto’s 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3, when teammate Luke Schenn went hard into Toronto's net while trying to defend against Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Samsonov felt better when he woke up on Monday and was scheduled for tests, including an MRI. Keefe revealed the injury was "upper-body in his media availability on Tuesday.
Woll has made two playoff appearances for the Maple Leafs in 2023, both have been in relief of Samsonov. Toronto's other option in goal — Matt Murray — has been medically cleared after sustaining a concussion in early April. He had served as the team's EBUG option for Toronto's second round of the playoffs.
Keefe said there was no consideration of going with Murray in goal for Game 4. The club acquired the oft-injured goalie from the Ottawa Senators last July and the two-time Stanley Cup champion has been injured three times this season.
The Maple Leafs are down 3-0 in their best-of-seven series with the Panthers, who have won six consecutive post-season games.
Toronto's big bet on Woll
The Maple Leafs have consistently said that Woll is their goaltender of the future. He's put up tremendous numbers this season after battling back from shoulder and ankle injuries that ended his season last year and spilled into the 2022-23 campaign.
The 24-year-old goaltender had a career-best save percentage of .927 while with the Toronto Marlies this season and has bested that while with the Maple Leafs posting a 6-1-0 record and a .932 save percentage.
In his two playoff appearances with the Leafs, Woll has played just 62 minutes while posting a save percentage of .846.
His first playoff start comes at a time of desperate need for the Maple Leafs who need to win four consecutive games if they want to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2002.
“It’s awesome. I hope the team has as much faith in me as I have in them," Woll said. "One thing I’ve learned is that it’s awesome to have external support but what really is important is the internal stuff. I have all the faith in the world. My goal is to play like that.”
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Ilya Samsonov Leaves Maple Leafs Game Against Panthers With Injury, Fall to Panthers in Game 3