Ilya Samsonov's huge bounce back game a very good sign for the Maple Leafs

With a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Saturday, Samsonov now sits at 3-1-2 this season, with a 3.79 GAA and a .870 SV%, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. Samsonov was VERY strong in 2 of his last 3 games. Obviously, yes, he was pulled again for the 2nd time this season against Tampa after allowing 4 goals on 12 shots behind very sloppy team defense, but he posted a .939 SV% against the Canucks last night - the highest scoring team in the league - and a .950 SV% against Boston on November 2nd.

Following last night's win, Sheldon Keefe was very complimentary of Samsonov's play. Among the things that Keefe was most impressed with was how Samsonov didn't allow a pair of first period goals to rattle him. Instead, he remained calm and focused and shut the door from there on out to give his team the best chance to win, which they did.

An 82-game season is a long one. The Leafs are going to need to rely on both Samsonov and his counterpart, Joseph Woll. So, in that sense, we should be rooting for both guys to do well. While Woll certainly displays a little more poise and calmness, even in tense situations, Samsonov is the more experienced of the two and, as we saw last season, when he's on, he can be very, very effective.

I'd imagine that both Woll and Samsonov will play during the upcoming trip to Sweden for the Global Series. The Leafs play Friday against Detroit and Sunday against Minnesota. How Keefe decides to split the starts is anyone's guess, but if it's me, I'm probably rewarding Samsonov for a stellar outing against Vancouver with the first start, on Friday against Detroit.