Samsonov's latest comments endearing him to Leafs Nation even more, as if that was even possible
Since Ilya Samsonov's arrival in Toronto, he has been endearing himself to the fanbase more and more with not only his play and his work ethic, but also with his humourous and humble personality. Partly due to his broken English, Samsonov has relied on his great sense of humour during interviews with the Toronto media and has quickly become a must-watch post-game interviewee.
Ahead of his matchup with his former team in Washington this weekend, Samsonov spoke with the media on Friday, where he was asked how he has been preparing for Alex Ovechkin. Samsonov's reply to the question was simply that, although they are friends, he hasn't been thinking about Ovechkin at all, even in light of his incredible milestone, reaching 800 goals this week. Ovi will have an opportunity to tie the great Gordie Howe against the Leafs for 2nd on the all-time list with 801 goals if he can sneak one past Samsonov on Saturday.
Samsonov was also asked about his start in Toronto. The 25-year-old is currently 9-2-0 in his Leafs career, and a perfect 8-0-0 at home. He also leads the league in both save percentage (.939) and goals against average (1.70), but if you ask him, none of that matters. What matters most is that the Leafs are still playing hockey in June.
This is absolutely the mindset that these players need to have to play in Toronto. In a city like Toronto and with a team like the Leafs, the fanbase and the organization has been through enough disappointment. If the players are taking the stance that the regular season doesn't matter and putting all of their focus on building the right habits and bringing their A-game the postseason, this is a team that could very well be in line to do some damage when the spring and summer roll around this year. Leafs Nation is started for playoff success, so naturally, with Samsonov putting all of his focus and energy into winning when it matters, the fanbase is behind him, 100%.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 16 | 222 ANSWERS Samsonov's latest comments endearing him to Leafs Nation even more, as if that was even possible Who will be the starting goalie for the Leafs come playoff time? | ||
| Matt Murray | 81 | 36.5 % |
| Ilya Samsonov | 141 | 63.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
