Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov made 30 saves in helping his team defeat the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, but the most painful save occurred during the pre-game warmup.
NEWARK, N.J. — Ilya Samsonov had to be sharp for his Toronto Maple Leafs.
The goaltender made 30 saves, including 15 in the first period to help his team defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 at Prudential Center on Tuesday.
But it didn't look good for Samsonov before the game, as the goaltender was seen slow to get up after a save during the team warmup.
The TSN broadcast had speculated he might have been hit in the knee, but it turns out he was hit somewhere far more painful.
"The balls," he said.
Samsonov made his first start in three games as Joseph Woll got the nod in goal during Toronto's 2-1 against the Calgary Flames on Mar. 2 and Matt Murray made his return in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Mar. 4. The 25-year-old Samsonov said he felt rested as he ramps up his preparation for the playoffs.
But as for what happened in warmup, Samsonov said taking a shot in that area wasn't going to stop him from helping his team.
"It's ok, sometimes they shoot to the head, it's nothing special as guys do warmup," Samsonov said. "I don't worry about this and I just think about the game."