The Maple Leafs' goaltending carousel continues Friday as Ilya Samsonov takes the crease Friday in Chicago. The 26-year-old goaltender has struggled mightily in 2023-24, with his 4-1-2 record, .878 SV%, and 3.56 GAA. He draws the Chicago Blackhawks on the road Friday, who have lost five straight and are 31st in the NHL in goals (2.53) and in shots on goal (26.9).
The Golden Knights have made a habit of rotating their two star goalies this season, but it will be Hill getting a second consecutive start in Dallas on Wednesday. Hill has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the 2023-24 season, registering a .929 SV% and a 2.07 GAA to go along with his 8-2-1 record. Hill was stellar against the Penguins in a losing effort on Sunday, stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced in the 3-0 defeat. He draws a difficult assignment tonight with the Golden Knights being rare underdogs at +110 in Dallas.
Samsonov will start in the first of two games for the Maple Leafs in Sweden as part of the NHL Global Series. Samsonov has struggled on a whole this season, registering a 3.79 GAA and .870 SV% through eight appearances (3-1-2) but is coming off one of his stronger performances of the season, saving 31 of 33 shots in a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Maple Leafs are -174 favourites as the road team in Sweden against a Detroit Red Wings team coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators last night.
Samsonov will likely start in the first of two games for the Maple Leafs in Sweden as part of the NHL Global Series. Samsonov has struggled on a whole this season, registering a 3.79 GAA and .870 SV% through eight appearances (3-1-2) but is coming off one of his stronger performances of the season, saving 31 of 33 shots in a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Maple Leafs are -174 favourites as the road team in Sweden against a Detroit Red Wings team coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators last night.
Hill is coming off a 20-save shutout, his second of the season, in a 5-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on November 10th. The Western Conference-leading Golden Knights have faltered a little, losing three of their last four, but will look to get back into the win column on Thursday as -192 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that has been outscored 7-3 in their last two contests (0-2-0). The 27-year-old Hill has been nothing short of spectacular this season, posting a remarkable 1.75 GAA and .939 SV% through nine contests (7-1-1).
Roy will return to the Golden Knights lineup on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, marking his first action since October 24th when he suffered an undisclosed injury. In seven games this season, Roy averaged 15:04 time-on-ice and picked up four points (3G / 1A), firing 13 shots on goal. He is expected to play on the fourth line with Will Carrier and Keegan Kolesar.
Hill is coming off a 20-save shutout, his second of the season, in a 5-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on November 10th. The Western Conference-leading Golden Knights have faltered a little, losing three of their last four, but will look to get back into the win column on Thursday as -192 road favourites against a Montreal Canadiens team that has been outscored 7-3 in their last two contests (0-2-0). The 27-year-old Hill has been nothing short of spectacular this season, posting a remarkable 1.75 GAA and .939 SV% through nine contests (7-1-1).
Lavoie has been recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL with news of the Oilers placing Mattias Janmark and Dylan Holloway on the injured reserve. Lavoie has been held pointless in five games with the Oilers but has seven points (4G / 3A) in five games with the Condors.
Schmid played well coming in relief of Vitek Vanecek on Friday, saving 20 of 21 shots (.952 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and will receive only his second start since October 26th. The Devils expected to operate with an even timeshare in their crease, but early struggles for Schmid quickly put that idea to rest. In five games (1-2-1), Schmid has a 3.09 GAA and .898 SV%. Despite his struggles, Vanecek has been far from perfect this season, and a strong performance from Schmid against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday could go a long way in securing him more game-action.
Lavoie has yet to pick up a point through five games with Edmonton but had three SOG and a -1 plus/minus and has been loaned to Springfield (AHL) on Tuesday. The 23-year-old winger returns to Springfield, where he was on a heater prior to his promotion with four goals, three assists, 17 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus.
Schmid played well coming in relief of Vitek Vanecek on Friday, saving 20 of 21 shots (.952 SV%) in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and will likely receive only his second start since October 26th. The Devils expected to operate with an even timeshare in their crease, but early struggles for Schmid quickly put that idea to rest. In five games (1-2-1), Schmid has a 3.09 GAA and .898 SV%. Despite his struggles, Vanecek has been far from perfect this season, and a strong performance from Schmid against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday could go a long way in securing him more game-action.
Whitecloud has battled an upper-body injury that has prevented him from playing this season but will finally make his debut on Friday against the San Jose Sharks. Last season, Whitecloud played 59 games with the Golden Knights, tallying 12 points (5G / 7A) and a +10 plus/minus rating.
Hill will get his second consecutive start on Friday as he looks to rebound from his first regulation loss of the season. Hill has performed admirably throughout the season, boasting an impressive 1.97 GAA and .934 SV% in eight games (6-1-1). He allowed three goals on 32 shots (.906 SV%) on Wednesday, a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, but will have the opportunity to make up for it against the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks (1.31 GF / GP). The last-place Sharks have won two games in a row, but the Golden Knights are still astronomic -501 home favourites on Friday night.
Samsonov was pulled after allowing four goals on 12 shots in the Maple Leafs' come-from-behind win over the Lighting on Monday. Joseph Woll started the last two games but Samsonov will start the second-half of their back-to-back on Saturday. He gets set to face a Canucks team that is on a five-game winning streak and lead the NHL in GF/60 (4.52).
Hill is the starter for the Golden Knights as they continue their rotation between him and Logan Thompson. Hill put together a tremendous effort in his most recent outing, saving all 41 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season, a 7-0 blowout victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Sunday, with Thompson between the pipes, the Golden Knights suffered their first regulation loss of the season, but Hill will look to continue his undefeated 6-0-1 record. The Golden Knights are -121 home favourites against a Los Angeles Kings team that has collected points in six straight (5-0-1).
