TORONTO — Ilya Samsonov hasn't had a lot to smile about this season.
The Maple Leafs goaltender struggled early and lost the No. 1 job in Toronto before enduring the embarrassment of being placed on waivers.
When the NHL's other 31 teams passed on Samsonov, he was demoted to the American Hockey League in hopes of rebuilding both his game and confidence.
It's a small sample size, but the netminder who often talks about "smiles" in the locker room has reason to at least flash the odd smirk.
Samsonov was excellent with a 16-save performance behind a strong defensive front in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken in the second half of a back-to-back that helped the Leafs split a four-game road trip.
The Russian was also solid in his first start following the AHL recall, allowing three goals on 20 shots in a 4-2 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 14.
"I'm just living day-by-day," Samsonov said following Tuesday's practice. "More easy life, right now, this is true. But I'm so motivated ... so want to play.
"Last couple of months I forgot how to enjoy (playing). I just want to enjoy every moment."
The 26-year-old grabbed Toronto's crease last season and led the franchise to its first playoff series victory since 2004.
Samsonov and the Leafs went to arbitration for a new contract that landed on US$3.55 million in 2023-24, but he never looked comfortable from the drop of the puck in October.
Rookie backup Joseph Woll took over the bulk of the workload before he suffered a high ankle sprain in early December. The door swung back open for Samsonov, but a string rough outings — to put it mildly — forced Toronto to turn to No. 3 option Martin Jones.
The veteran steadied things, which gave Samsonov time to commence the reset.
"His focus and his preparation, confidence — that's what I've really seen an uptick on," Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "In particular since that Detroit game, his practices have been excellent.
"Partly because of Jonesy's play and partly by design, we kept him hungry by not playing him all week. We wanted to continue to stack good days, knowing that we were definitely going to need him on the weekend."
Keefe wasn't surprised to see Samsonov put in the type of performance he did against the Kraken.
"Stayed hungry and kept working," said the coach. "He's very much looked like the Sammy that we came to know last season."
Samsonov's teammates, meanwhile, were thrilled for both the player and the person after his struggles.
"We all experience that one way or another," Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. "In those instances, you want to be supportive, you want to be there for your friend.
"When you need somebody, there's people in this room that are there and care and want the best for one another."
Toronto captain John Tavares said it wasn't easy to see Samsonov, who will get another start Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, falter so badly in the spotlight.
"You're playing the game at its highest level," he said. "When it's not going your way, it can play with your mind a little bit and can be challenging.
"Credit to him and the way he's stuck with it and dug in."
Samsonov is focused on staying present and not dwelling on what's in the rear-view mirror — positive or negative.
"No more options for me," he said. "I try everything."
The process of resuming his climb, meanwhile, hasn't been an easy one.
"I'm staying positive," Samsonov added. "It's what's important right now."
Maybe more smiles will follow.
TAVARES STAYING POSITIVE
The 33-year-old veteran centre is without a point in eight games — the longest drought of his career.
"Can't say it's a great feeling or an easy feeling," he said. "Just continue to do my part and know those opportunities will continue to come."
Tavares is on pace to register 62 points, which would be his lowest output in a full season since his 2009-10 rookie campaign.
JETS PRAISE
Winnipeg, which sits third in the NHL's overall standings, went 34 straight games with three or fewer goals allowed prior to Monday's 4-1 loss to the Bruins in Boston.
"A really good example of what happens when you have a team that defends real hard with elite goaltending and high-end skill," Keefe said. "They've put their defence and goaltending first, and then they have the skill to be able to pull away for them to win games. They've got a great mindset.
"In lots of ways, when we're playing at our best, our identities are pretty similar in that sense. It's a great opportunity for us to go against one of the league's best."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2024.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
