Leafs appear to have selected a starting goaltender for tonight's game against the Blues

Morning skate on game day is typically an accurate way to predict which goalie will get the start for the Leafs. Whichever goaltender leaves the ice first is normally the one getting the start. After a couple of rough outings, it appears Ilya Samsonov will get the call against the St Louis Blues tonight.

Samsonov started the season red hot, even holding the league's highest save percentage and GAA at one point. After posting back to back shutouts, Samsonov has failed to record a SV% over .900 in his last 3 starts. His record this season is still stellar, 9-0-0 at home and 11-3-0 overall. He will look to bounce back against a Blues team missing both Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, both of whom suffered significant injuries over the weekend and are expected to miss several weeks of action.

The Leafs as a team had a bit of a speed wobble around the Christmas break, but a strong performance against the defending Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche on New Year's Eve may have been just what the doctor ordered. If the Leafs can continue with the strong defensive game that carried them through November and most of December, they can bank another valuable two points. They'll need to bank a lot more if they have any chance of catching Boston and avoiding another date with the Tampa Bay Lightning in round one.