SUNRISE, Fla. – Matt Murray is healthy and cleared for action.
But with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season hanging in the balance, the club will not be turning to its Stanley Cup–winning goaltender and big offseason gamble.
Murray is the third option, while the club uses its two off-days to decide whether to give Game 4’s start to AHL Marlies callup Joseph Woll or a banged-up Ilya Samsonov.
Samsonov, who had been nursing an ailment heading into the playoffs, suffered an undisclosed injury Sunday when defenceman Luke Schenn accidentally crashed into his crease.
He left Game 3 in the second period.
Samsonov was “feeling better,” Monday morning, according to coach Sheldon Keefe.
He is scheduled to get an MRI Monday and undergo further tests before the team determines Wednesday’s starter.
Woll stopped 18 of 21 shots in relief, taking a 3-2 overtime loss.
“We’ve got great confidence in him,” Keefe said of the 24-year-old. “And he backed that up with his performance.
“Our group has a lot of confidence in him. And more importantly, he looked really confident and comfortable. It didn’t look like the moment or the situation was too big for him. So, if I need to go back with him, I think we’ve got lots of confidence and belief in his ability.”
Going in cold, Woll faced an Anthony Duclair power-play breakaway shortly after assuming the crease, and Toronto’s defenders allowed Sam Reinhart access to his crease on the OT winner.
Otherwise, he looked solid.
“That’s really the only thing going through my head is, try to help the team as best I can,” Woll said post-game.
“Try not to think too much about the outcome. Try to take it one save at a time. I think I settled in and did a good job of that.”
Murray has not played a hockey game since he suffered a concussion 37 days ago.
Samsonov is hurting.
Suddenly, the Maple Leafs’ fate could rest in the hands of a goaltender who has appeared in a grand total of 15 games at the NHL level.
“I have all the faith in the world in this team still,” Woll said. “Doesn’t really matter what the series looks like. I really believe in this team.”
Toronto stares at the uphill challenge of becoming just the fifth team in history to rally from a 0-3 series deficit.
“Our job is to win one hockey game, and not get focused or bogged down by anything beyond that,” Keefe said.
“We can’t control the big picture. We can only control one game.”
