(Boston) Ilya Samsonov had just made a small mistake that turned into a serious problem.
The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender had just dropped a puck at the end of the first period of the second game against the Boston Bruins. Things got heated quickly after that. A powerful shot on his mask, a lost faceoff in the defensive zone, a goal for David Pastrnak and a 2-1 lead for the Bruins.
Already trailing 1-0 in the series – and nothing seemed to be going well for them – the Leafs could have completely escaped.
In similar circumstances this winter, when his future in the NHL seemed uncertain, Samsonov would have collapsed. But both the Leafs and their goalie rather pulled themselves together and left the TD Garden tied 1-1.
Samsonov excelled in a 27-save performance in the Leafs’ 3-2 victory Monday after a 5-1 loss in the first matchup.
“We didn’t think about that,” said the 27-year-old goalkeeper of the sequence of events at the end of the first period. We immediately turned the page. We forgot. We stay in the present moment. »
This mentality also helped Samsonov return to the Toronto team after an ugly streak that saw him post the worst efficiency rate in the league before being sold to the American League, when there was no guarantee that he was going to be back.
But Samsonov is a warrior. He not only fought to return to the NHL, but also to be the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goaltender in the playoffs.
“We love him and he’s an important part of our locker room,” said captain John Tavares. It adds to our confidence in him. »
After his December demotion, Samsonov compiled an 18-4-2 record and a .905 save percentage. There were other worrying moments down the stretch, as he gave up nine goals in his last two starts of the season, but the Russian never faltered.
“The way he fought, as a teammate, you admire that,” Tavares added. You like him and that makes you have immense respect for him. »
“He struggled all season, which certainly didn’t go the way he thought it would. But he never stopped moving forward. »
Samsonov made some key saves in this second game to keep his club in the game, including a full-length one against Bruins captain Brad Marchand in the third, just before Auston Matthews gave his team the lead.
“I admire his mentality,” Matthews said. He has a short memory and if he has a bad match or a bad streak, he erases it all and gets back to work. »
The Maple Leafs, who ended an eight-game losing streak against the Bruins dating back to November 2022, will need the same type of performance as the series moves to Toronto starting Wednesday.
“They do a lot of good things that tax your defense,” noted head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Bruins. [Samsonov] was there for us. We owe a large part of this victory to him. »
The Torontonians may have wrested home ice advantage from their opponents, but there is still much to do against a team that has been in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy and which holds the psychological advantage with three victorious series against the Leafs in recent years.
“We are still working on the areas we can improve and trying to be more disciplined,” Tavares said. They will want to regain the upper hand. We have to continue to raise our game.”
“We have to erase this victory and start working again,” concluded Samsonov.