Creative Measures Taken by Leafs to Crown New Belt-Holder After Luke Schenn's Absence

After a crushing loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, the Leafs had to face off against the New Jersey Devils, who have ranked higher than the Leafs.

The Leafs had a rough start, something that Sheldon Keefe, the Leafs head coach, acknowledged several times during the post game interviews.

He complimented Ilya Samsonov, the goalie, for keeping the Leafs in the game for the first 20 minutes, stopping all 15 shots fired his way.

Samsonov's efforts helped maintain a 0-0 tie for the first period, both teams gave up a goal during the second period, before the Leafs outscored the Devils in the third period, securing them victory against the Devils.


Samsonov ended the game with 33 saves from 30 shots and was handed the post-game championship belt for his efforts during the first period. William Nylander was given the honours of presenting the belt to Samsonov. The belt was given to Nylander from a Leafs trainer, who got it from Luke Shenn, who stayed behind after playing the Canucks to be alongside his wife for the birth of his son.


The Leafs will not be playing again until Saturday, but it has already been confirmed that Matt Murray will be in the net against the Edmonton Oilers. Samsonov must wait until Monday, when the Leafs are playing the Buffalo Sabres to continue to wow fans with his spectacular goaltending. However, he still gets the honour of passing off the belt to a teammate of his choosing if the Leafs beat the Sabres.

Mapleleafsinsider