Editor’s Update
Ilya Samsonov will start for the Maple Leafs…Joseph Woll is battling an injury from Game 6. Martin Jones will be the Maple Leafs backup. Auston Matthews will be in the lineup for Game 7.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are never at a loss for storylines, and none are bigger than what is going on before a key Game 7 matchup with the Boston Bruins.
Earlier in the day, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe reported that Auston Matthews’ return to the lineup would be a game-time decision. Two hours before faceoff, insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Mathews arrived to the arena on Bus 1, which is an indication that Matthews may have a good chance at being in the starting lineup.
In the early stages of Game 4, Keefe pulled him out of the game for good. This move stirred conversation among devoted fans, and the head coach provided an update on why the arguably best player was made to leave. He said, “It’s all just related to the illness he’s been dealing with. Ultimately, he’s been giving us everything that he has here. Ultimately, the doctor pulled him.”
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Who’s in Goal
Another post from Friedman, adding another twist to the Maple Leafs’ lineup drama, was that all three goaltenders, Joseph Woll, Ilya Samsonov, and Martin Jones, arrived on the second bus, with Friedman adding that it seems possible that Samsonov gets the start in net.
This seems puzzling, as the Bruins have been unable to solve Woll when he has been in the crease.
However, Friedman is usually a fairly reliable reporter, and it is possible that Woll could also be injured or sick. Toronto’s morning skate was just 15, and to keep everyone guessing, the Leafs did not run line rushes and dressed all forwards in the same white practice sweater. They also did not do anything to indicate who was starting in net. The Leafs also did not make Matthews available to the press.
Face off for Game 7 takes place at 8 PM ET.