The Leafs begin a three-game road trip tonight, starting in St. Louis. Sheldon Keefe revealed earlier today that the Leafs plan to roll with Ilya Samsonov in goal against the Blues. The Leafs' bench boss told the media that starting Samsonov tonight will allow him to give the 25-year-old netminder a chance at redemption after his last start.
After a brilliant start to the season, Samsonov struggled in his last two starts. In his return to Washington, he allowed 5 goals on 28 shots in a 5-2 loss for the buds. Then, in the final game before the Christmas break when the Leafs beat Philadelphia 4-3, the 25-year-old allowed 3 goals on 19 shots against the Flyers. But with the good will he has built up this season, Leafs Nation should not be worried, as he is still sporting an impressive .924 save percentage and a 2.07 goals against average. For reference, the league wide save percentage for all goaltenders this season currently sits at .905, while the league wide goals against average is at 2.95.
Keefe went on to confirm veteran goaltender Matt Murray will start on Thursday in Arizona. He currently owns a .925 save percentage, and averages 2.34 goals against per game - both also well above the league average.
