Matt Murray was going to be looking for redemption tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs and his former team faceoff for the first time since the trade.
Unfortunately, the Toronto Maple Leafs new starting goalie was injured in practice this morning and may not be able to go.
Toronto decided to move on from Jack Campbell in the offseason and decided to risk everything with Murray and Ilya Samsonov in net. Murray’s first game was a tough outing, allowing four goals on only 23 shots, which resulted in a loss.
Samsonov, on the other hand, played pretty well against a better roster. Similar to Murray, who faces his former team tonight, Samsonov was up against his previous squad (Washington Capitals), allowing only two goals on 26 shots, while getting the win.
One game won’t be the difference between who starts the team’s first playoff game next spring, but as of right now, Samsonov has the edge.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
The Senators added Alex Debrincat and Claude Giroux this past summer and now are a team who is looking to go from joke to contender.
Their blue-line (still featuring Nikita Zaitsev, for some reason) is a work in progress, but they are definitely on the upswing, and the promise of an exciting Battle of Ontario is on the horizon.
It might, however, not quite be here yet. The Senators are picked by some to make the playoffs, but realistically, in a tough Atlantic Division, they’ll need a lot of help.
Though it is unclear yet who will start for the Leafs tonight, it appears that it will be Ilya Samsonov.
If there was ever going to be one game for Samsonov to prove himself, it’s a Hockey Night in Canada match-up against the Senators on Saturday night, at home. The Battle of Ontario isn’t what it once was, but it’s still an exciting match-up, every time these two play each other.
Samsonov is getting an opportunity he wasn’t expecting, and I doubt it would take much on his part to create a goalie controversy or win the job outright.
The Leafs are heavy favorites in this game, but they were also heavy favorites against Montreal, and we know how that turned out.
Tonight’s lineup appears to be the same as Thursdays. Here is hoping the fourth line is better and that Jake Muzzin can play like he did vs Washington in stead of how he played vs Montreal.
Ottawa always plays Toronto tight, but that can’t happen tonight. Samsonov (assuming he plays) needs to stand on his head and and be the Leafs best player, not only to show the fanbase he can, but for himself personally, as that confidence is vitally important for him.