During Saturday’s match against the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs’ goalie Ilya Samsonov suffered an unusual injury.
While reaching from one goal post to another, he awkwardly strained something and remained on the ice, face down, unable to get up.
Eventually, Martin Jones had to step in as his substitute. The exact nature of his injury wasn’t immediately apparent, but it seemed serious judging by his reaction. The Maple Leafs later issued an update on his condition after the game.
Sheldon Keefe, the head coach, provided remarks on Samsonov’s condition:
“It seems he’ll recover well. The injury wasn’t as severe as it initially seemed or as I had anticipated. I won’t delve into specifics, but it appears he’ll be alright and won’t be sidelined.”
Samsonov seemed to sustain a lower-body injury while stretching to make a save attempt. However, it appears that whatever discomfort he felt at the time didn’t linger. The news that he won’t miss any games might be surprising given his reaction during the Oilers match.
The score was 5-3 with just over three minutes remaining, and the Oilers were striving for a comeback. Edmonton had been held scoreless through two periods but gained momentum in the third with three goals.
Despite their efforts, the final score remained 6-3, with Jones completing the game for Toronto. The Maple Leafs will face the Carolina Hurricanes, with Joseph Woll likely to start.
Since his hiatus, where he went down to the AHL for a mental reset, Samsonov has performed admirably. He currently holds a record of 14-4, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average.
