The club recalled its struggling top-paid goaltender ahead of Wednesday’s practice, returning prospect Dennis Hildeby to the AHL Marlies before he had a chance to taste NHL action.
Samsonov, who maintained a stall in the Leafs dressing room during his demotion, practised with the big club for the first time since he gave up six goals on 21 shots during a disastrous 6-5 collapse to the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December.
NHL on Sportsnet
Livestream Hockey Night in Canada, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the Oilers, Flames, Canucks, Leafs, out-of-market matchups, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Draft.
The move is less about getting Samsonov back into the NHL than it is about squeezing Hildeby into some games.
Hildeby’s camp and the Maple Leafs organization have prioritized the gigantic goalie’s 2023-24 as a development year. And with veteran Martin Jones slated to make a sixth consecutive start Thursday on Long Island, Hildeby’s groove of game action has been interrupted so he could sit on the bench and watch Jones do his thing.
“That’s really what it’s about,” coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Wednesday, before jetting to New York. “But at the same time, it gives us a chance to assess Ilya and give him an opportunity to get back with the group.
“You want to see him play with confidence in the net. Right now, all we have to go off are his practices. You want to see him practise well and have good habits, and you want to see him have life about him and confidence. We’ll reassess after Friday.”
‘Great to see him back out there’: Maple Leafs’ Tavares on Samsonov
And with Joseph Woll (high ankle sprain) still weeks from recovery, and the trade market thin on reasonable alternatives, the organization is doing its best to buy time for Woll (now skating solo) and manage the situation on the fly.
“It’s all unpredictable,” Keefe said recently.
The coach was speaking generally to the state of NHL goaltending, but the sentiment applies to where, exactly, the Leafs crease goes from here.
To free up Hildeby, Samsonov will back up Jones against the Islanders.
Earlier this week, GM Brad Treliving did not outline a plan for Samsonov, who had been working on his mental and technical game with development staff for a week before participating in one Marlies practice (Tuesday) and now one with the Leafs.
The team declined to make Samsonov available to reporters following practice, protecting him from professional game action and the media.
“Part of what he’s going through is physical, but more of it is mental,” Keefe said. “You guys are fine people. But when you’re going through something, [answering questions] doesn’t help. It hurts.”
Toronto is staring at a weekend back-to-back versus Colorado and Detroit that extends to a three-in-four-nights set when you include Tuesday’s challenge in Edmonton against Connor McDavid’s red-hot Oilers.
Thank goodness for Jones, earning every penny of his $875,000 salary, but he’ll need a breath.
“I’m sure it’s challenging playing all these games, but he’s doing a great job,” Morgan Rielly said. “Jonesy’s been great. Had a great [California] trip for us. It’s not easy playing back-to-backs, but you didn’t hear a peep out of him. He just worked and played well.
“He’s just doing his thing.”
Between starts, Jones celebrated his 34th birthday Wednesday with a hockey practice.
His thing is playing goalie for the Maple Leafs. At some point, Jones will need support doing his thing.
Knies should be OK after practice scare
With Wednesday’s news of Connor Bedard undergoing jaw surgery and being sidelined for as long as eight weeks, diehard members of Leafs Nation wondered if Matthew Knies may have an outside shot at entering the Calder Trophy conversation.
Toronto’s prized rookie has carved out a niche on the club’s top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and has comported himself well in a forechecking and playmaking role with the superstars.
Well, Knies himself suffered an injury scare Wednesday and needed help off the ice from teammates after going down during a drill.
Maple Leafs’ Knies helped off ice after sustaining apparent injury at practice
Matthews told reporters he saw his linemate after the skate and that the injury appeared minor.
Knies will travel with the club to Long Island, an optimistic Keefe assured, and may well be available to suit up against the Islanders.
Maple Leafs’ Keefe: Knies ‘looks good,’ not ruled out of game vs. Islanders
One-Timers: Despite ripping a goal in his last-minute return to the lineup during Tuesday’s 7-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks, Nick Robertson is expected to be a healthy scratch Thursday on Long Island as Noah Gregor recovers from illness. Keefe on Robertson: “I don’t think he’s fully separated himself from the pack.”… That pack features Pontus Holmberg, one of Mitch Marner’s favourite players in the NHL. The Swede scored a beautiful one-handed goal against the Sharks and is endearing himself to the team by playing centre, left wing and right wing this season, bouncing around the bottom six. “You can do a lot with that as a coach,” Keefe said…. Mark Giordano missed Wednesday’s practice and took a recovery day instead. Expect him to play Thursday…. Marlies Hildeby and Alex Steeves were named to the AHL all-star game in San Jose.
Maple Leafs projected lines Thursday at New York Islanders
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
