Spending some time at his first Toronto Raptors game and not taking a day off helped Ilya Samsonov get the mental reset he needed to help the Toronto Maple Leafs pick up their first win in 2023.
After four consecutive games in which he posted save percentages below .900, Ilya Samsonov desperately needed a mental reset.
Despite going 2-1-1 in that span, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was unhappy with his game. He talked about his luck being terrible but was still adamant about his belief in his ability and technical performance in the net.
So he changed things up.
The day after his 6-5 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues, he attended his first Toronto games Raptors game with his wife Maria along with Semyon Der-Arguchintsev and his girlfriend. He did his usual work when slated for a backup role to Matt Murray on Jan. 5 against the Seattle Kraken. But when the team was given the day off this past Friday, Samsonov elected to go back to work on the ice with goaltending coach Curtis Sanford.
"I thought right from the morning through to the game tonight, Sammy's focus was really really solid," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said following his team's 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings. "He looked destined to have a great night here tonight and I thought he was excellent."
Samsonov made 22 saves on 23 shots and had to make some difficult saves to help keep his team from collapsing after a disastrous first period that saw the Maple Leafs register just two shots on goal and have a 22 percent expected-goals rate, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
And despite giving up the game-opening goal to defenseman Jake Walman, Samsonov stayed sharp throughout.
"If you work hard every day, the luck is coming back. Samsonov said after the game. "I believe I'm back on track."
Samsonov will back up Murray when the Maple Leafs finish off a string of back-to-back games on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. There was no temptation to put Samsonov back in after Murray had his worst performance of the season in a 5-1 loss to the Kraken.
But after a dreadful start to 2023, the Maple Leafs were able to pick up their first win of the calendar year. They needed improvement in all aspects of the game, and it started with goaltending.
"I was really impressed with the work he put in to be prepared for this game and the way he came out and gave confidence."
Samsonov certainly had his smile back after the game. He received the player-of-the-game belt for his win and was interviewed by Hockey Night in Canada for the first time. When his interview with Sportsnet host Kyle Bukauskas ended, he politely tried to return the towel given to him, not realizing that it was his to keep.
"Lots of gifts," Samsonov said after the game.