“Step by step is my mission right now,” Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov sends strong message to fans following return to team

Ilya Samsonov made his return to the Maple Leafs starting lineup after being waived off in December 2023.

“Step by step is my mission right now,” Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov sends strong message to fans following return to team

Ilya Samsonov (Image via Sportsnet)

In the past few weeks, the name of Russian goaltender Ilya Samsonov has dominated the headlines across the NHL community. The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie was waived off from the squad in December. However, he is now back in the team.

The 26-year-old goalie has struggled for consistency this season. His performances this season have not lived up to the expectations of many. Despite these setbacks, he is eager to prove everyone wrong and sent a strong message to the fans following his return.

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The Maple Leafs fans showered huge support on him on his return. The chants of “Sammy! Sammy! Sammy!” could be heard ringing around the arena throughout the game.

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I love these guys...Thank you so much, it's amazing...I don't wanna say big words right now, I'll do some step by step. Couple of weeks ago I be so deep, no deeper than where I've been, so just a step by step is my mission right now.
Ilya Samsonov to the fans.

Sheldon Keefe praises Ilya Samsonov for his performance despite suffering loss on his return

The eyes of the NHL world were drawn to the Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings. An intense clash at the Scotiabank Arena saw the visitors come out as 4-2 winners as Ilya Samsonov suffered another loss. Despite this, his coach Sheldon Keefe praised him for his performance.

Ilya Samsonov and Sheldon Keefe
Ilya Samsonov (L) and Sheldon Keefe (R) [Image via The Hockey News/AP]

The coach would applaud the efforts of the Russian international. He further stated that this was the best he had looked during this season.

He battled his a** off. It's the best I thought he's looked all season just in terms of how he was tracking the puck and some of the saves looked like the Sammy that we came to know last season. So I think this is a positive step for him.
Sheldon Keefe on Ilya Samsonov’s performance as per theScore.

The Leafs made a strong start and led the game 2-1 going into the third period. The Red Wings were able to find a way back into the game and scored thrice with one being an empty-netter to pick up the two points.

As for Samsonov, he would make 20 saves off the 23 shots he faced. Unfortunately for him, he would concede very late on that saw the Leafs drop the game.

The Toronto-based outfit will now face the high-flying Edmonton Oilers, who are on a 10-game winning streak. The Leafs fans would be hoping Samsonov can continue to improve as the season rolls on.

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