All in all, it was a great road trip for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the big picture, it was one of those trips that if, in the beginning, you’d have known your team would come home with a 3-1-1 record, you would have taken it.
Last night, against the Nashville Predators all eyes were on how Ilya Samsonov (Sammy) would do. It was a positive game for the beleaguered goalie. The Predators defeated the Maple Leafs with a final score of 3-2 in overtime. But, had it not been for former Maple Leafs’ player Ryan O’Reilly and his two power-play goals, it might have been a win. But that’s only might-have-been. In the end, the team came out of Music City with a single point in the standings.
In this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at some of the players who made an impact with the Maple Leafs in this game. I’ll also share what I know now about the injury that forced Timothy Liljegren (Timmy) out of the game last night. For readers who want a takeaways piece, let me encourage you to go to my THW colleague Michael DeRosa’s link below.
Item One: Coach Keefe Found Positives in This Game
Coach Keefe also highlighted the team’s excellent first period and noted that his players had more scoring chances compared to their last game against the Dallas Stars. That the team is now starting the games better is a positive.
Second, he praised the team’s ability to stay on their game, even in the face of adversity. They had a series of near misses, including posts and missed breakaways, which could have provided more goals for the team. Finally, in reviewing the entire trip, he saw progress and positives in the team’s play during the stretch of games away from home.
Item Two: Samsonov Played Well Enough to Win
Against the Predators, the biggest question was which Samsonov would show up. Would it be last season’s model or the goalie we had seen this season? The answer was that it was that the Russian goalie had a mixed performance. He made 21 saves, of which several were outstanding; however, he also let in a goal (O’Reilly’s first goal) that was “a touch weak.”
There were also concerns about his confidence. And, the truth is that early in the game he looked a bit shaky in that aspect. However, Samsonov’s play was a marked improvement over what fans had seen this season.
Coach Keefe leveled a fairly positive assessment of his goalie’s game. After the game, Keefe stated that his goalie looked solid and often resembled the strong form he had shown at times last season. Keefe believed Samsonov should feel good about his game, even though the team didn’t win.
Interestingly, in the Hockey Night in Canada between-periods chatter, former goalie Kelly Hrudy noted that – as a goalie – it was a good thing when your goalie partner was playing well, even if you were struggling. That Samsonov faces competition from Joseph Woll in the team’s early-season goalie competition takes pressure away from his personal struggles and adds motivation for both goalies (as well as the entire team to show up strong defensively).
Item Three: William Nylander Is Currently This Team’s Leader
William Nylander (Willie Styles) continues to play lights out for his team. Against the Predators, he scored the game’s first goal on the power play. It was a one-timer off a great pass from Auston Matthews. This goal pushed Nylander’s point streak to eight games. Over those games, he’s put up 12 points – equally spread between goals and assists at six each.
Nylander’s start to the season has made him the fourth player in Maple Leafs history to start a season with an eight-game point streak. In that group, he joined the ranks of Frank Mahovlich, Lanny McDonald, and John Anderson.
Item Four: Timothy Liljegren Suffers Upper-Body Injury
Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren (Timmy) suffered a lower-body injury during last night’s game. He left the game midway through the second period after taking a hit from the Predators’ Yakov Trenin. Initially reported as a lower-body issue, Liljegren’s injury leaves his status uncertain for the team’s next game against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
With Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe also dealing with a lower-body injury, the team might call up another replacement player if both blueliners are unavailable for the game. Liljegren’s status remains day-to-day as of the most recent report. This season, Liljegren has contributed an assist, five hits, and 13 blocks in seven games while playing just over 20 minutes per game.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs’ next game is at home against the Kings on Tuesday night. In looking ahead at that game a bit, they might meet up with goalie Cam Talbot who’s with his seventh NHL team.
What an interesting career Talbot has had in the NHL. From Caledonia, Ontario, located about 95 kilometers southwest of Toronto, Talbot started as a strong goalie with the New York Rangers (2013-15). He moved to the Edmonton Oilers (from 2015-18), where he had a really solid 2016-17 season (playing 73 games with a save percentage of .919).
After that, his pilgrim seasons began. He was a trade deadline move (for goalie Anthony Stolarz) to the Philadelphia Flyers (2018-19) and played four games there. He signed with the Calgary Flames for the 2019-20 season, then moved to the Minnesota Wild for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Last season he played 36 games with the Ottawa Senators, and, over this past 2023 offseason, Talbot signed for $1 million with Los Angeles. Thus far in the 2023-24, he’s played six games with a save percentage of .905. His career save percentage across all his games stands at .913.
What a trip around the league for this quality NHL goalie.