Auston Matthews comments on Ilya Samsonov's ridiculous 45-save effort in Florida
Auston Matthews had a historic night for the Leafs, hitting the 40-goal plateau for the 5th time in just 7 seasons, but even he'll tell you that he wasn't the highlight of the night. No, I'm not talking about the NHL debut of Matthew Knies. I am, of course, talking about Ilya Samsonov's brilliant performance against the Florida Panthers.
Samsonov stopped 45 of 46 shots, en route to a 2-1 OT win, preventing the Panthers from locking up a playoff spot in the East. Not only was Samsonov busy on Monday night, but he made a number of incredible saves, including a very important one in OT before Tavares iced the game for the win.
Following the conclusion of the game, Matthews spoke with the media, raving about the game his goaltender had in Florida. It's safe to say that not only does the fanbase adore Samsonov - the guys in the locker room do as well.
"He's just such a competitor in there. I really admire his mindset & the way he goes about his business & just a lot of fun to see him do his thing in there. He's been so solid for us all year so I can't say enough good things about him."
With his brilliant 45-save effort, Samsonov improves to 27-10-5 this season, with a 2.33 GAA and a .919 SV% with 4 shutouts. His save percentage on the road is now up to .909.
