Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs get back to business with a game against the New York Islanders. They enter the game in a heated playoff race for third place in the Atlantic Division. Behind the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers, they face a dogfight between themselves, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Tonight’s game should be interesting. It will be the first time the team faces the new-look Islanders – at least from a coaching standpoint. The presence of Patrick Roy behind the Islanders’ bench makes this game extra interesting for me. The game will be the Islanders’ fifth under his tenure since he took over as coach. So far, there has been no positive bump from the new coach. The team record since Roy began is only 1-2-1; however, I’ve read that the Islanders have shown noticeable improvements.
We’ll see tonight. It should be a fun game to watch.
Item One: Auston Matthews Returns From a Successful All-Star Break
Auston Matthews begins the remainder of the season as the league’s leading goal-scorer with an impressive 40 goals. He should enter this last part of the season with the added momentum of being named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. He looked everything like a goal-scorer with his two goals and an assist in Team Matthews’ 7-4 victory over Team McDavid.
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Perhaps even more important was that his Maple Leafs’ teammates (William Nylander, Mitchell Marner, and Morgan Rielly) were together on Team Matthews. It was good fun and good chemistry-building.
Item Two: Ilya Samsonov Will Start for the Maple Leafs Against the Islanders
Ilya Samsonov will be in the net tonight for Toronto against the Islanders. He has played well in the crease since his return from purgatory [wherever he was when he wasn’t in either the NHL or the American Hockey League (AHL)]. In his last four games, he’s put up a 3-1-0 record with an impressive .939 save percentage (SV%). His past two starts have been amazing.
The 26-year-old goaltender has been on a hot streak, allowing just three goals in his active three-game winning streak. If the Maple Leafs are to secure their place in the postseason, they’ll need good goalie play. That makes Samsonov’s strong performance crucial as the Maple Leafs aim for another win tonight.
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Samsonov enters the game with an 8-3-6 record, a 3.36 goals-against average (GAA), and a .878 SV% on the season. He’s climbing back toward respectable numbers, but it’s a long climb given the valley he put himself in to start the season.
Item Three: David Kampf Will Miss Tonight’s Game
Maple Leafs’ center David Kampf will miss tonight’s game with an undisclosed injury. He wasn’t at Sunday’s practice, still nursing the injury he suffered in the game against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 27. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI yesterday (Feb. 4) to assess the extent of the injury and determine a timeline for his return.
Kampf’s season thus far has not been as strong as his first two with the team. He only has scored four goals and added four assists (for eight points) during his 46 games this season. There’s been a scoring difference for him in playing mainly on the fourth line and not on the third line this season.
Item Four: Calle Jarnkrok Placed on Injured Reserve Due to Hand Injury
In recent news, Calle Jarnkrok has been placed on injured reserve after breaking a knuckle just before the All-Star Break. The injury is expected to sideline him for a while but I’ve seen no news about when he might return. Word is that the injury is considered week-to-week. He has had another productive season for the Maple Leafs. He scored 10 goals and has put up 19 points in 46 games.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Assuming that Samsonov plays well in the Maple Leafs’ net tonight, the team’s goaltending situation is close to becoming stable once again. Although the word is that Joseph Woll isn’t yet practicing, he is getting closer to a return from his ankle injury. He has been sidelined since Dec. 7 when he left the ice against the Ottawa Senators. He is nearing full recovery.
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When he returns, he should be able to solidify the team’s goaltending. In the interim, Samsonov’s good form before the All-Star Break has taken a load off the team’s shoulders. It’s also worth noting the positive impact that Martin Jones has had on the team with his solid play. He’s filling the gap well during Woll’s absence and Samsonov’s funk.
