Dubas goes in-depth on Maple Leafs goalie situation, Woll shines in beating Tampa (2023)

Article content

Sammy never breaks.

Ilya Samsonov, the Maple Leafs’ starting goaltender once the playoffs start, said as much about himself the other night.

He does need some mending, however, and we won’t see him again until Game 1 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That was the indication from Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, who met with the media on Tuesday in Tampa before the Leafs beat the Lightning 4-3 at Amalie Arena.

“I’m not going to get into the specifics other than it’s something he has dealt with, he will deal with,” Dubas said. “And (he is) probably unlikely for Thursday (in the Leafs’ last regular-season game in New York against the Rangers). We need to take care of him.”

Dubas, who usually provides insight in scrums with reporters but doesn’t do them often, didn’t have much choice but to make himself available considering the Leafs’ usage of goalies on amateur tryouts in the past three games.

Article content

Article content

“It’s rather ambiguous, and sometimes because of the day-to-day nature of some of these injuries, we don’t have the direct answers and certainly (coach) Sheldon (Keefe) doesn’t either,” Dubas said.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

On Tuesday, Matt Onuska of the Windsor Spitfires became the third goalie to dress on an ATO, following Nick Chenard in Florida on Monday and Jett Alexander at home against Montreal on Saturday.

Also in the picture is Samuel Richard of the University of New Brunswick.

Onuska backed up Joseph Woll, who the Leafs recalled on an emergency basis.

“The league informed us Joe was eligible for the (roster emergency) exemption,” Dubas said.

Why could the Leafs not do that a day earlier? On Monday, Samsonov, who we now know was not 100%, made 45 saves in a 2-1 overtime win against the Panthers.

Article content

“The reason from the league was that because of our decision, which I would agree with the league on, is that rather than play short on forward, we sent Joe down to the Marlies on Saturday,” Dubas said. “The determination was we were ineligible for an emergency recall for Matt Murray.”

Signing Matthew Knies also factored into what occurred in the past several days.

Dubas confirmed that Murray has a concussion, suffered on April 2 when Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings fell and slid into him. Murray continues to progress.

Dubas defended the usage of Alexander, who plays for the University of Toronto, against the Canadiens, as the goalie played the final 70 seconds in the Leafs’ 7-1 win. Keefe wouldn’t say who made that call, and Dubas, who was in Tampa that night watching Knies play in the Frozen Four final, wasn’t forthcoming.

Article content

“All I would say on Jett, I know there has been a lot of discussion about it, (is that) I don’t really care what other people think,” Dubas said. “He has been around our program for a number of years as an ATO guy and an emergency guy and he donates a lot of his time to be there just in case, goes out of his way to be there for practices.

“It was a nice thing to do given what Jett has done, volunteering his time and what the U of T has done for us.”

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

As for the game against Tampa, though the result was meaningless in the standings, the clubs clearly were gearing up for the first-round clash.

Luke Schenn scored a goal and fought Pat Maroon, and Michael Bunting had a scrap with Corey Perry.

William Nylander scored his 39th goal of the season, and Calle Jarnkrok’s 20th on a power play late in the second.

Ryan O’Reilly scored the winner at12:33 of the third. Knies assisted for his first NHL point.

Woll finished with 46 saves in a gutsy Toronto victory.

Keefe scratched stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, as well as defenceman Mark Giordano.

Marner, with 99 points, will get a final shot at 100 on Thursday. It would be Marner’s first 100-point season in the NHL.

“You want to get there, but all of our players, Mitch included, are looking big-picture,” Keefe said. “Mitch has played more than anybody on our team and is going to play more than anybody on our team when it counts the most.

“In my mind, you round up. That’s the way it works … to me, you’re a 100-point guy as it is.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/koshtorontosun