Sheldon Keefe, the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has announced his starting goaltenders for the back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings this weekend. Keefe has confirmed that Ilya Samsonov will start against the Senators tonight, while Matt Murray will take the net at home against the Red Wings tomorrow night. In the previous game against Florida Panthers, Samsonov made 26 saves on 29 shots, but the team lost in overtime. Meanwhile, Murray allowed four goals on 27 shots in their last game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Leafs have been alternating their starts, but with the back-to-back games coming up, Keefe's decision to start Samsonov and Murray was a given. Keefe had the option to choose Murray, who made 48 saves on 52 shots in the previous game against the Senators. However, Keefe opted to go with Samsonov tonight, as he is in better form.
In addition, Radim Zohorna, who was called up on an emergency basis yesterday due to the absence of Wayne Simmonds and Noel Acciari, is expected to make his debut for the Maple Leafs. Simmonds was a 50/50 call for tonight's game but did not make the trip, making way for Zohorna's first appearance. The Leafs are likely to revert to the 11/7 formation, with Zohorna and Zack Aston-Reese acting as the roamers
