For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******
After returning from a Western road swing where they lost four of five games and the club’s dedication and effort were called into question, the Toronto Maple Leafs righted the ship with three straight victories, including back-to-back weekend wins against two of the Eastern Conference’s best in the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes, but another injury to their goaltending has the Leafs in a dangerous situation with the NHL season less than a month old.
Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov suffered a knee injury attempting to stop a penalty shot by Brad Marchand in the second period of the Leafs 2-1 victory over the Bruins on Saturday, and was replaced by backup Erik Kallgren for the final 20 minutes of regulation.
other angles of Ilya Samsonov falling back after the penalty shot pic.twitter.com/cMz7T3ppEy
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 6, 2022
Kallgren made seven stops in the third, but Toronto rallied around their backup, blocking shots and preserving a precarious one-goal lead. In the 3-1 win in Raleigh on Sunday, Toronto struggled getting energized in the second of back-to-back games, but Kallgren kept them in the game and shut the door after an early Stefan Noesen power play goal, making 29 saves and allowing the Leafs to tie the game on a Calle Jarnkrok goal late in the second, take the lead on John Tavares eighth of the season in the third, and ice the game on William Nylander’s fifth of the year.
"We gave up the power play goal, but we didn't give up much defensively. It was a lot of point shots and a lot of stuff coming toward our net, but no real big scoring opportunities. Because of that, you're hanging around in the game and right there." Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. "I thought the game changed from that point of that period on, and then the third period, you're right there, you're in the hockey game and you get a couple of scoring opportunities and you make good on them."
Although the effort in both games was extremely positive, it is minimized in importance by the Leafs now chaotic situation between the pipes. Keefe indicated before the game that Samsonov would have an MRI on the injured knee and that he is expected to be out more than a week, but the extent of the injury will determine how long it will be.
Toronto signed goalie Keith Petruzzelli to a two-year, entry-level contract to backup Kallgren on Sunday, and Keefe indicated that Matt Murray will practice with the club on Tuesday, but it is still unknown when the veteran netminder will be ready to return.
Depending on the health status of Samsonov and Murray, Toronto’s fate for the near future could be in the hands of their fourth-and-fifth string goaltenders for the foreseeable future.
*******