Hard work pays off as Keefe applauds Samsonov putting in extra work this week to get back to form
Even though Ilya Samsonov was 2-1-1 over his last 4 starts heading into last night's game against the Red Wings, he had been fighting the puck and gave up 5, 3, 4 and 5 goals over his previous 4 games. Samsonov was determined to find his game again - so much so, that while the team had Friday off, he and goalie coach Curtis Sanford were on the ice and in the video room working on the details of Samsonov's game.
The extra work paid off as Samsonov posted a .957 save percentage in last night's 4-1 win over Detroit. Making note of the extra work, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe praised Samsonov for putting in the work and finding his game again.
"I thought from the morning right through to the game tonight, (Samsonov's) focus was really, really solid. He looked destined to have a great night here tonight and I thought he did."
Following today's game in Philadelphia, the Leafs will have a pair of days off before taking on Nashville on Wednesday. Depending on how Matt Murray plays tonight, we could see Samsonov back between the pipes for Wednesday's game. The alternating starts approach had been working well for the Buds until they began to deviate from that strategy in December. Let's see if they go back to it now.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 8 | 194 ANSWERS Hard work pays off as Keefe applauds Samsonov putting in extra work this week to get back to form Assuming Murray wins tonight in Philadelphia, which goaltender would you start in Nashville on Wednesday? | ||
| Murray | 62 | 32 % |
| Samsonov | 132 | 68 % |
| List of polls | ||
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