Samsonov had not played since November 24th, but picked up where Woll had left off, backstopping the Leafs to a 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators. Following the game, Samsonov was asked about the injury to Woll. While Samsonov is the beneficiary of the extra action, his reaction was not one of excitement over the increased workload, but rather one of concern for his teammate.
Samsonov has dealt with a handful of injuries since joining the Leafs last season, including a lower-body injury that saw Woll step in for Samsonov in the Leafs' second round series against Florida in the playoffs. With Woll sidelined for the foreseeable future, it will now be up to Samsonov to help the Leafs continue to secure points and he couldn't have asked for a better start and return to the net than his shutout last night.