After allowing six goals and 21 shots, the Maple Leafs might have to start looking at other options rather than being patient with Samsonov.
After allowing six goals and 21 shots, the Maple Leafs might have to start looking at other options rather than being patient with Samsonov.
COLUMBUS — The Toronto Maple Leafs were hoping Ilya Samsonov would have had a few days to clear his head over the holiday break to snap out of his funk this season.
That didn't happen.
The struggling goaltender allowed six goals on 21 shots as the Maple Leafs fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-5 in overtime at Nationwide Arena on Friday.
It's not that Samsonov was particularly bad compared to some of his other appearances in goal over the last couple of months. There were some unlucky bounces and some costly turnovers in front of him as the Blue Jackets erased multiple two-goal leads.
But the Maple Leafs are running out of patience for their goaltender who started the 2023-24 season as the team's starter. With Joseph Woll unavailable due to a high-ankle injury, Martin Jones has shouldered the load in goal amid Samsonov's struggles. But that still leaves games on back-to-back nights where the other goalie (in this case Samsonov) has to play.
And it's becoming a cringefest.
"We have an injury in goal right now so in back-to-back situations like we're in right now you're going to have to use both guys," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "So in between those starts, Sammy's going to have to continue to work."
In his last four starts, Samsonov has posted a save percentage of .798. With each game looking worse on the stats sheet than the one before it.
"The last three games (before Friday's game), I didn't see a lot of luck," Samsonov explained. "I'm sad about this, but I need to continue to work. Maybe the next game, or next three games, the luck is back."
Following his previous appearances, Samsonov was despondent about his performance in goal. On Friday, he appeared to be more defiant about his latest effort.
The problem is it may be too little too late as Maple Leafs may finally be at the end of their rope. With Woll out, the club doesn't have any other options other than to try and look at 22-year-old goaltender Dennis Hildeby. Although he's posted a .920 save percentage in 14 games, he's playing on North American ice for the first time and the Leafs want to avoid bringing him up too early.
"You've got to think about them and put them in positions to succeed and not derail their development that is going well," Keefe said of other goalie options. "At the same time, it's the NHL. We need saves and we need points and we need wins.
"I'm sure Tree (Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving) is going to consider everything."
Keefe indicated after the game on Friday that Jones will start against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The Leafs have their next instance of back-to-back games on Jan 2 and 3 when they visit the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, respectively. It's hard to make the case for Samsonov to go back into one of those games.
They have a few days, but not many before picking a No. 2 goaltender behind Jones if it isn't Samsonov in the new year.
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Ilya Samsonov Allows Six Goals on 21 Shots as the Maple Leafs Fall to Blue Jackets in Overtime
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