Ilya Samsonov will try and pick up where he left off when the Toronto Maple Leafs return to action on Monday night.
Samsonov, who reportedly cut his All-Star break vacation short, will get the start in goal when his team faces the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena. Head coach Sheldon Keefe made the announcement Sunday as the club's players returned to practice.
That game can be seen as part of Monday Night Hockey at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
After a tumultuous first half of the season, which saw the 26-year-old waived by the team and sent down to the minors, the Russian netminder is coming off three straight wins heading into the break.
Samsonov (8-3-6) allowed just three goals over three wins against Seattle and Winnipeg, including a shutout in the first game of a back-to-back with the Jets. That helped him improve his save percentage to .878 and goals-against average to 3.36 — both of which represent career lows for him.
Meanwhile, centre David Kämpf will be unavailable according to Keefe, having sustained an injury in that second game against the Jets that was not progressing well. While the Czech undergoes further assessment, Pontus Holmberg will take his spot as the fourth-line pivot.
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