The performance of Ilya Samsonov against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night should concern all Toronto Maple Leafs fans as the playoffs approach. If Samsonov had played just okay, the Toronto Maple Leafs would have easily defeated the Devils, but instead, he performed poorly. The Leafs managed to score five goals, including one in the final minutes to tie the game, but it wasn’t enough. While the team’s offense is strong, if Samsonov continues to play like this in the playoffs, their season might end quickly. My opinion on Samsonov’s goaltending has been changing constantly. At the start of the season, I was hoping for a 1A/1B tandem with Woll as the main starter, but by Christmas, I was okay with the idea of him being lost on waivers. After being put on waivers, Samsonov made a comeback and seemed to win every game he played, but I remained doubtful until a week ago. However, after finally supporting Samsonov, his performance against the Devils has made me worried again. Hence, I need to make a final point and stick with it. If the Maple Leafs start Samsonov in Game 1 of the playoffs, their season may end in the First Round, and Woll could be the netminder by Game 3. I don’t see a scenario where Samsonov leads the team to multiple playoff round victories and isn’t the reason for their loss. Despite his impressive 23-7-7 record, Samsonov ranks 38th in GAA (3.08 GAA) and 46th in SV% (.891 SV%). Woll doesn’t technically qualify due to the number of games played, but he would rank 27th in GAA (2.88 GAA) and 21st in SV% (.907 SV%) among NHL goaltenders this year. Woll’s 12-10-1 record is obviously much worse than Samsonov’s, but his stats are better enough to warrant him the nod for Game 1, in my opinion. The Leafs have three games left, including a back-to-back to end the season, so both goaltenders are likely to play. If Samsonov has another poor performance in one of those three games, it’s a clear choice to go with Woll. Despite the better record, Woll gives the team a better chance to win, and the playoffs are only going to get tougher.
Why Toronto Maple Leafs Can’t Afford to Start Ilya Samsonov in Playoffs
