Leafs head coach provides updates on the injured Matt Murray and workhorse Ilya Samsonov after Sammy misses practice
As the Leafs returned to practice after a day off yesterday, Matt Murray got some work in for the first time since aggravating an ankle injury on January 27th. His last appearance in-game action came on January 17th, where he allowed four goals on eight shots against the divisional opponent Florida Panthers.
Murray was initially labelled as a week-to-week recovery period, as today's date marks a month since his last appearance in the crease. Despite this, head coach Sheldon Keefe caught up with the media after practice stating that Murray was "progressing well", but his ankle is "still not at the point where it's allowing him to do everything that is required to play in terms of his movements". With that said, Keefe stated that there is no timeline for Murray's return, as I'm sure with playoffs right around the corner, the Leafs are in no rush to bring him back before ensuring he is 100%. In 19 games this season, Murray has an 11-5-2 record .911 SV% and a 2.73 GAA.
His partner in crime, Ilya Samsonov, was a notable absent from practice today as well. As Samsonov has had quite the workload over the past month in Murray's absence, fans assumed this was a maintenance day. Since Murray has gone down, Samsonov played in nine straight games and ten of his last eleven with a record of 7-1-2 over that span.
After practice had concluded, Keefe had announced that Samsonov was dealing with an ongoing illness, making tomorrow's starter against the Montreal Canadiens a game-time decision. Keefe noted that the Leafs would see how Samsonov is feeling tomorrow, and then decide from there.
In 27 games this season, Samsonov has an overall record of 19-6-2 with a 0.918 SV% and a 2.31 SV%. Throughout the season, he has proven his worth and solidified himself as a starter for the long haul.
| POLL | ||
17 FEVRIER | 293 ANSWERS Leafs head coach provides updates on the injured Matt Murray and workhorse Ilya Samsonov after Sammy misses practice Will Samsonov be able to start against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow? | ||
| Yes, definitely | 130 | 44.4 % |
| No, I don't think so | 89 | 30.4 % |
| Woll szn, baby! | 74 | 25.3 % |
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