Not only has the Maple Leafs goaltender started to turn a corner in net, there he was at the team’s charity gala on Thursday night at the Fairmont Royal York hotel winning the poker tournament.
“A lot of flights for us (recently),” Samsonov said with a smile after the Leafs practised on Friday at the Ford Performance Centre. “So good practice. I was excited.”
There has been enough reason for Samsonov to feel good about himself in his return to work, and he will get another opportunity when he starts on Saturday in Winnipeg against the Jets in the Leafs’ last game before the National Hockey League all-star break.
Two wins this week, including a 1-0 shutout against Winnipeg on Wednesday in Toronto, involved a total of 48 saves on 49 shots by Samsonov. Three nights after beating Seattle as the Leafs on Sunday successfully ended a four-game trip, Samsonov easily was the best Toronto player on the ice at home with 32 saves versus the Jets.
We wouldn’t suggest Samsonov’s turnaround is complete. Yet after spending time with the Toronto Marlies and bearing down in sessions with Leafs goalie coach Curtis Sanford, it’s evident that he’s putting more distance between himself and his struggles to start 2023-24.
Samsonov is in a stronger frame of mind, which has resulted in a renewed confidence in the crease.
“More quicker in the net,” Samsonov said. “This probably the biggest part for me right now. Because the body is more relaxed, you’re doing better.”
And the internal belief in the organization that was becoming increasingly tenuous as Samsonov couldn’t make saves from October through December is being restored.
“The trust, sure, is there,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t put him back in.
“Like any other player, it’s about consistency. He can’t prove his consistency until we consistently put him out there. That’s really it. He has to keep stacking up good days.”
The Jets again won’t have leading scorer Mark Scheifele, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. It’s expected, though, that the Leafs will face top goalie Connor Hellebuyck after they required the extra period to finally get one past backup Laurent Brossoit on Wednesday.
Defenceman Josh Morrissey and forward Gabriel Vilardi will be game-time decisions.
Now that the Leafs have seen the Jets — the top defensive team in the NHL — up close, they know that getting to the inside in the offensive zone doesn’t come without intensity and effort. And even if the Leafs are better in that area, especially in the early stages of the game, it won’t necessarily result in a bushel of chances or goals.
“You have to have buy-in,” Leafs captain John Tavares said of the Jets’ ability to stifle opponents. “The way they’ve been able to do it game after game, how they play as a five-man unit, their goaltending is really good on top of that, it allows them to play their games at a high level.
“What was it, 34 (games) in a row that they allowed three or less? It’s a pretty remarkable stat, especially in today’s game.”
The Leafs’ fortunes on Saturday would be helped if Tavares and linemate William Nylander can find a way to dig themselves out of a rut. Tavares’ career-long pointless streak is at nine games, and Nylander has been quiet since signing a contract extension, contributing just two goals and two assists in his past eight games.
For Tavares, there is comfort in knowing that Samsonov is getting back to his level of last season, when he was among the NHL’s top goalies and provided the Leafs with sharp netminding just about every time he got the call. If the Leafs can beat the Jets again and head into the break on that high, we’d guess that Samsonov would be a significant factor.
“You can just see him being more and more like himself and challenging shooters, being aggressive,” Tavares said. His skill set really comes out.
“It was great to finish the job for him (when Auston Matthews scored in OT on Wednesday). We’re really happy for him. We have a lot of belief in him and he’s a big part of our locker room. He came in last year and was a big part of our success and we’re lucky to have him.”