Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov speak on pushing one another and playing under the ultra-bright spotlight in Toronto
From day one, there were a lot of questions about the Leafs' new goaltending tandem. Would they be able to handle the pressure of playing in the hockey mecca? Could they both find their grooves in a new setting under the microscope in Toronto? Would they be deployed as a 1-2 or a 1a-1b? While there are still some questions, a lot of the early questions and concerns have been addressed and according to both Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, their time in Toronto together has been great.
Samsonov, when asked how he would describe Murray, stated that he was hardworking. Conversely, Murray, when asked how he would describe Samsonov, called his counterpart "fun". Perhaps that's a part of their secret to success - equal measures fun and hard work.
Murray is 11-4-2 in his 17 appearances this season, boasting a solid 2.48 GAA and a .919 SV%. Meanwhile, Samsonov is 12-3-1 in his 16 looks this sesaon, with a stellar 2.29 GAA and a .916 SV%. Simply put, they're both playing some good hockey for the Leafs this season and, were it not for a bit of a rough stretch over the last 2 weeks of December and a couple of games at the start of January, both goaltenders would still be near the top of the leaderboard in terms of GAA and SV%.
Samsonov, for one, has loved his time with the Leafs. Even through the down times, Sammy has had a great attitude and has committed to putting in the work to fix the details of his game when things weren't going right. That all comes with liking where you play - and according to Samsonov, he was a Leaf at heart, right from day one.
-Samsonov on how easy his decision was to come to Toronto this summer
Similarly, Murray, who grew up a Leafs fan just like his dad, relished the opportunity to come to Toronto to play for his favourite team. While there's pressure, Murray doesn't believe it differs all that much from playing anywhere else. The only difference between playing in Toronto and playing anywhere else with a passionate fanbase is that the Leafs have a much larger fanbase, which means the voices are just a little louder. For a goaltender who stays as even-keel as Murray, handling that pressure is no sweat.
-Murray on playing in a pressure-cooker like Toronto
While they always try their best to stay focused and push one another, both Murray and Samsonov have pointed to the team in front of them and their support for each other as a big reason for their individual success in the first half of the season.
-Murray on the Leafs' team defense and the guys in front of him playing their hearts out
-Samsonov on his team giving him clean looks and the support that he and Murray provide for one another
Murray and Samsonov admitted that they bonded on day one. It also helps to have a freshly revamped goaltending department in Toronto who help to push each of them and keep them motivated and feeding off of one another's energy at practice. Both Leafs goaltenders admitted to ESPN's Kristen Shilton that even on days where one of them comes in and doesn't feel particularly motivated or energetic, just seeing the other guy working hard provides them with that extra energy and motivation to push through and get better.
-Samsonov on Murray's work ethic rubbing off on him in practice
-Murray on trying to match Samsonov's energy
Both goaltenders are reaping the benefits of playing off of one another this season. There will be ups and downs, as there is for every goaltender on every team, but the fact that the Buds have two guys who are this motivated, this hungry and who have the type of chemistry that Murray and Samsonov seem to have, it gives you all of the ingredients necessary for that recipe for success. Of course, the biggest test will be how they handle themselves in the postseason, but we can only cross one bridge at a time. There's still a half-season to go before we can get there, but I'm looking forward to seeing what a motivated tandem who feed off of one another can do in the second half in Toronto.
You can read Kristen Shilton's full Murray/Samsonov story provided at the link below:
| POLL | ||
12 JANVIER | 181 ANSWERS Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov speak on pushing one another and playing under the ultra-bright spotlight in Toronto Are Murray and Samsonov the best Leafs tandem in the last 30 years? | ||
| Yes, without question | 65 | 35.9 % |
| No, but they're pretty good | 105 | 58 % |
| Not at all | 11 | 6.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
