Samsonov stable, however Leafs lose third straight

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The Maple Leafs have much more issues than Ilya Samsonov’s goaltending.

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Whereas the much-maligned netminder held Toronto in for a lot of Sunday’s 4-2 empty web loss to Detroit, atfer costing them a handful of video games as much as New 12 months’s, the remainder of the workforce continues to have points holding leads.

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The guests, with ex-Leaf James Reimer of their cage, survived off a largely misfiring Toronto offence a lot of the night and pounced when alternative arose because the Leafs swallowed a 3rd consecutive loss, giving up the go-ahead objective within the dying minutes of the previous two.

Samsonov had turned the introductory boos into third-period cheers and even chants of ‘Sammy! Sammy!’ earlier than Andrew Copp’s winner with 1:40 to go when the Leafs had been got rid of the puck behind him. Seconds earlier, Samsonov stretched to glove a shot heading to the open facet from a diving J.D. Compher.

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Samsonov, a controversial starter when named within the morning, made 20 saves.

Puck drop was delayed almost an hour to nearly 8 p.m., as a result of the Wings had been held up a house since late Saturday evening, first by a mechanical difficulty with their aircraft, then Sunday afternoon by climate. They didn’t get to Scotiabank Enviornment till almost 6 p.m.

Samsonov needed to know a loud Bronx cheer was approaching his first routine save from  Compher. Dylan Larkin had a partial breakaway, however misplaced the puck, so Samsonov was capable of quiet down. Twice he got here far out of his crease to cease Detroit forwards from catching as much as free pucks and made 15 stops, together with a short-handed 2-on-1 stretch pad save, earlier than a Jake McCabe mistake within the nook led to Larkin’s 1-1 objective.

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Pontus Holmberg tipped a Morgan Rielly level shot earlier than that and Larkin’s objective was answered lower than three minutes later when Tyler Bertuzzi handed off to Mitch Marner who had an open cage for his 600^th NHL level, the quickest Leaf to that milestone in 548 video games.

However unhealthy luck has additionally dogged Samsonov, corresponding to Morgan Rielly’s stick blowing up on a degree shot that rendered him unable to cease Alex DeBrincat from springing Daniel Sprong on a breakaway objective for the 2-2 equalizer simply 2:46 into the third interval.

After one of many worst stretches a Toronto goalie has endured in current reminiscence — poor begins, private points and public criticism — coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned it was a collective organizational willpower to re-activate the Russian.

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In his earlier 4 video games, all losses, Samsonov gave up 21 objectives, just a few of them true groaners, whereas shedding his grip on his positional play. It sank his save proportion to .862 along with his general report of 5-2-6.

“It’s an enormous determination for lots of causes, for each Samsonov and (rookie Dennis) Hildeby,” Keefe mentioned Sunday morning. “However you make a (comeback) plan for Sammy, and he’s achieved the work to be prepared for tonight.”

Keefe mentioned as soon as himself, common supervisor Brad Treliving, and goaltending coach Curtis Sanford decided Samsonov wouldn’t really play any AHL video games as a part of his reboot, Sunday’s back-to-back was the logical return date.

“It’s larger than simply me or Curtis. You might have a man who’s our highest-paid goalie (versus) our high prospect (and the necessity to give de facto No. 1 Martin Jones a relaxation).”

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Three disjointed energy performs underlined the Leafs’ particular groups’ problems with late. The Core 4 and defenceman Rielly stayed collectively, however Keefe used the change to Samsonov to make wholesale line adjustments, in addition to deliver defenceman Conor Timmins out of mothballs to offer 40-year-old Mark Giordano an evening off.

Auston Matthews had the instantly common Holmberg and William Nylander on his wings, former London Knights Marner and Max Domi teamed up with Bertuzzi, whereas Matthew Knies was the opposite displaced first-liner, dropped down with David Kampf and Noah Gregor. John Tavares, getting back from a third-period benching the evening earlier than within the loss to Colorado, was with the reinstated Nick Robertson (for Bobby McMann).

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The Leafs needed to re-jig their goaltending image when Samsonov stumbled and Joseph Woll sprained his ankle. Samsonov gained 27 video games final yr, however incoming GM Treliving held agency on not lavishing a brand new multi-year contract and took him again for one yr at an arbitrator’s $3.55-million US award.

Hildeby who backed up Jones in a three-game sweep of California and was Plan B for the Wings sport, wound up getting lit up for 3 objectives on his first 11 photographs throughout Sunday afternoon’s Marlies sport in Belleville earlier than getting pulled in an eventual 6-2 loss.

Sunday additionally introduced the Leafs to 41 video games and the halfway mark of their schedule with a report of 21-12-8.

Apart from the COVID-19 season changes, this was essentially the most uneven half of hockey for Keefe and the workforce, in-game swings, lack of ability to carry leads, coupled with wonderful comebacks to rescue a degree or two.

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A lot of new gamers both laboured with their play (Ryan Reaves) accidents (John Klingberg) or took awhile to seek out their consolation degree (Domi and Bertuzzi).

“I’ve by no means been one to dwell prior to now,” Domi mentioned Sunday morning. “That’s one of the best ways to give attention to it. That is when hockey begins to be enjoyable (heading into the playoff races).”

However the Leafs should make higher use of video games in hand, that at the moment are towards a number of the NHL’s greatest. They couldn’t sustain for a complete 60-minute match towards top-ranked Colorado on Saturday and now have two of the highest Canadian groups this week on the street, Edmonton and Vancouver. A house-and-home with Winnipeg then sends them into the all-star break.

lhornby@postmedia.com

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