Leafs goaltender makes bold statement about the team ahead of the playoffs
Ilya Samsonov missed the Leafs' last two games of the regular season to deal with some lingering injuries but is good to go for Game 1 on Tuesday against Tampa, according to a report this afternoon. Samsonov has been a star for the Leafs this season after seizing the starting job from Matt Murray with a combination of solid performances and Murray's laundry list of injuries.
Signing a 1-year deal with the Leafs last summer after Washington chose to move on from the now 26-year-old, Samsonov has solidified the Leafs' goaltending issues. In 42 games with the Leafs this season, Samsonov went 27-10-5 while posting 4 shutouts. He also had a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Prior to taking to the ice today for the optional practice Samsonov was asked about the Leafs season and said that the Leafs are the best team in the NHL "for sure". Why does Samsonov believe the Leafs are the best? Here's what he had to say:
While the standings don't exactly show it, the Leafs have been a top-5 team all season in all or most underlying statistical categories. Their biggest improvement was on the defensive side of the puck, where they jumped from 19th in goals against to 3rd in the same category. Their defensive play is what has many analysts and former coaches believing that they will be able to get out of the first round for the first time since 2004. As it turns out, it would appear as though Samsonov believes it as well.
With Samsonov having such a strong opinion of his team, it's highly unlikely that they won't hammer out a deal this summer. In fact, given how highly he speaks of Toronto, I could see Samsonov and the Leafs commit to one another long-term.
