Maple Leafs' Samsonov confident, comfortable as series with Tampa around the corner
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Ilya Samsonov figures the Maple Leafs are the best team in the National Hockey League.
What led the Leafs’ No. 1 goaltender to that conclusion?
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Maple Leafs' Samsonov confident, comfortable as series with Tampa around the corner Back to video
“Because we have a nice group, we have best doctors, best therapists, best workout coaches, we have best coaches, we have best players,” Samsonov said after practice on Saturday at the Ford Performance Centre.
With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs around the corner, the Boston Bruins might have something to say about that.
The Bruins hit the post-season as the Cup favourite after setting NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points. Though no team has won the Presidents Trophy and the Cup in the same season since Chicago in 2013, the Bruins undoubtedly have the group to do it.
But hey, give Samsonov props for the confidence he has in his teammates. There’s nothing wrong with that self-belief as the Leafs settle into preparation for their first-round, best-of-seven series, with Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning coming on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
Thanks to a stellar regular season, Samsonov has instilled a similar confidence in his teammates. The 26-year-old, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, shone after signing a one-year contract with the Leafs when he was not qualified by the Washington Capitals.
Matt Murray has resumed skating as he recovers from a concussion and Joseph Woll has proven he can be a reliable backup, yet there has been no question for several weeks whether Samsonov would be the guy in Game 1 and beyond.
As for his own health, Samsonov is in a good spot after he didn’t dress in the final two games of the regular season.
“Feel good, physically good, mentally is good, just prepare,” Samsonov said. “Have a couple more days (to) get ready against a good team in the playoffs.”
Samsonov’s ability to balance having fun at work and the pressure that comes with be a Maple Leafs netminder has been crucial in his overall performance. That takes nothing away from the work that Leafs goalie coach Curtis Sanford has done with him, as the guidance has been a big reason why Samsonov got his game back.
“When he talks to you guys, I know that he can have fun with it, he lets his personality come through,” Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “With us, it’s the same thing. He’s always smiling, always laughing, always in on the joke. When it comes time to play hockey, he’s extremely focused.”
Samsonov’s .919 save percentage was among the NHL leaders, and there haven’t been many occasions when he has allowed a bad goal, something that happened a lot more often when Frederik Andersen and Jack Campbell were manning the Toronto net.
Samsonov said the feeling he has is similar to what he experienced in 2015-16, when he won the KHL title with Magnitogorsk.
“I feel more comfortable day by day, week by week,” Samsonov said. “I love everybody here on the Leafs. I so enjoy coming to the rink every day.”
That Samsonov doesn’t have much NHL playoff experience — eight games with the Capitals and one victory — is not a concern in the Leafs’ room.
“It has been a great season, but it hasn’t been a perfect season (for Samsonov),” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “At times, he has had to deal with some adversity and he had to regroup and reconnect with his structure and the foundation that he put in place through the offseason.
“The guys are confident and comfortable playing in front of him. All those things combined, he is ready. He is clearly motivated, as he has been all season.”
Facing the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has 63 wins in 104 NHL playoff games and two Cup rings, doesn’t faze Samsonov.
“I don’t think about (it),” Samsonov said. “I worry more about how I’m feeling. We’re not playing against Vasilevskiy. We play against full Tampa team.”
And yes, Samsonov can feel the excitement building in the city as the Leafs will try once again to keep the organization’s playoff failures in the past.
“Everybody wants to win the Stanley Cup, it’s true,” Samsonov said. “I think we’re an elite team, probably the best team in the league. We need concentration day by day, not overthinking. I know everybody is waiting for (a positive) result with us.”
O’REILLY: THIS IS WHAT WE PLAY FOR
Ryan O’Reilly has been here before.
“It’s the best time of the year,” the Maple Leafs centre said on Saturday, three days before the Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning play in Game 1. “This is what you play for all season, to finally have it right here on the doorstep, it’s the most fun the game is. It’s going to be extremely competitive, extremely difficult, but an exciting challenge.”
Four years have passed since O’Reilly led the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP.
Those memories are fresh, and though the Lightning has won two Cups since, O’Reilly’s experience can’t be underestimated.
“Having a deep run can help, for sure,” O’Reilly said. “Every year is different, teams are completely different. But still, it gives me confidence going in. I think I know what it should look like.”
Is there anything O’Reilly can point to, once the playoffs start, that can result in success?
“It’s something that I wouldn’t even know how to explain,” O’Reilly said. “It’s decisions that you make at the right times. Going up against Tampa, they know how to win. It’s going to take our best in order to beat them.”
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