Ilya Samsonov comments following second consecutive Game 1 loss
Ilya Samsonov has played some excellent hockey for the Leafs this season, but even the top guys have an off-night every now and again. Unfortunately for Samsonov, this off night happened to occur in Game 1 of the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Samsonov is a huge reason why the Leafs finished 4th in the overall standings this season and he was very arguably the MVP in the Leafs' series against Tampa, making a number of high-danger saves at key moments in Games 3-6 to help keep his team in every last one of those games - especially in Games 3, 4 and 6, giving the Leafs life and allowing them the opportunity to steal 3 games in overtime.
Last night, however, just wasn't Sammy's night. It was a rough one for the 25-year-old netminder, but, thankfully, Samsonov has often rebounded nicely after a tough outing, stealing a number of games following a night on which he had struggled.
Samsonov spoke with the media in Toronto last night following the loss. When asked what his plan was and how he plans to rebound, here's what the young netminder had to say:
After getting absolutely shelled in Game 1 against Tampa last series, Samsonov backstopped the Leafs to a 7-2 win over the Lightning in Game 2. The Leafs are hoping for a similar result from Game 2 in this series. The two Atlantic Division clubs are back at it tomorrow night before having 3 days off between games, with Game 3 not expected to take place until Sunday evening in Sunrise.
