Ryan Reaves healthy scratched by Maple Leafs for Game Seven against Bruins, Ilya Samsonov gets surprise start in goal

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has decided to keep Reaves out of his lineup against the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of their first-round series. Reaves was also a healthy scratch for Game Six, a 2-1 victory for Toronto on home ice.

Game seven lineup@Molson_Canadian | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/s8DZYleb9M

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 5, 2024

Keefe replaced Reaves with Noah Gregor ahead of the Game Six win and the team's fourth line excelled in that game. Gregor skated 8:21 of total ice time, more than Reaves has averaged (7:52) in the five playoff games he's featured in.

David Kampf, the line's center, was on the ice for a team-high 93.4 expected goals for percentage and one of Toronto's two goals. Per The Athletic's Kevin Papetti, coming into the game Kampf ranked dead last (211 of 211) in expected goals for percentage (24.6 percent) among skaters to play at least 50 five-on-five minutes in the playoffs.

Reaves has had a battle sticking in Toronto's lineup this season, complaining to the media in January that he was being kept on injured reserve by the team despite being completely healthy. The Leafs initially picked the rugged winger up to make them tougher to play against in playoff-type atmospheres.

The 37-year-old forward has never won a Stanley Cup and was famously a healthy scratch for the Vegas Golden Knights when the Washington Capitals lifted the Cup in Vegas in 2018.

During his 13-year career, he has been suspended as many playoff games (3) as he has scored playoff goals. In 113 total career playoff games, Reaves has tallied just nine points (3g, 5a) while also serving a whopping 114 penalty minutes.

After signing in Toronto, Reaves made a point of saying that his presence would help prevent the Leafs from facing another Radko Gudas-level showboating celebration like they did when Florida Panthers eliminated them from the playoffs last year. He will not even be on the ice if a Bruins player attempts something similar tonight.

The Leafs will get superstar Auston Matthews back in their lineup but will be without goaltender Joseph Woll. Woll relieved Ilya Samsonov during Game Four and won both of the next two games to force this Game Seven but will sit out due to an injury sustained Thursday.

Samsonov will get the start and have Martin Jones as his backup. The Russian netminder is 1-3 in the first round with a 3.31 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage.