Ilya Samsonov Candidly Speaks On His Mental Hurdles That Lie Ahead
The goalie battle is heating up in Toronto, and Ilya Samsonov revealed his feelings on his recent struggles and how he wants to fight through them in the coming games.
Samsonov Opens Up About Goalie Battle and Past Performance
After a few bad performances from Samsonov and a few stellar ones from backup Joseph Woll, it has become apparent that there is a goaltender battle for the number-one position in Toronto. Samsonov, whose last appearance lasted less than one period after being pulled, recently opened up about the battle between him and Woll for the number-one spot.
Some hiccups from Samsonov would have been acceptable to start the season, but major gaps in his play have resulted in some people calling out his abilities, saying last season could have been a one-off.
"Ilya: why are you in the white paint? Our team is on the PK. You know Kucherov is a 1-timer threat. Why are you making it impossible to get to his shot?"
This is a saveable shot if Samsonov stays in the blue.
"You can't let in three goals on four shots. That's it."
Woll Has Stepped Up to His Opportunity
Woll has made the most of his opportunity, earmarking his ability during the comeback win against the Lightning where he came in cold in relief of Samsonov and earning himself the player of the game award.
He followed that performance up with arguably a better one against the Stars, helping the Leafs secure another win on the road.
What a massive stretch with the pad!
Hopefully, the battle between the two goaltenders pushes both to be better and the Leafs benefit because of it.
As seen on The Hockey News - "Maple Leafs' Ilya Samsonov Seeks to Clear Head Amid Rough Patch: 'I Feel Sh*t, I Will Be a Guy Who Is Fighting For This'"
| POLL | ||
Who do you think is the Leafs number 1? | ||
| Woll | 271 | 74.2 % |
| Samsonov | 94 | 25.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
