After a tough loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (Jan. 20), the Toronto Maple Leafs moved just across the border to Washington State on Sunday night to face the Seattle Kraken. In goal, the Blue & White had Ilya Samsonov, who had not won a game since early December. While the schedule and the circumstances didn’t make it seem like the night for a win, it was, and the Maple Leafs emerged with a 3-1 victory.
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Auston Matthews scored the first goal of the game before Nick Robertson (an often healthy scratch) put the team up 2-0. After the Kraken’s Jordan Eberle brought his team within one, Jake McCabe scored an empty-netter for the margin of the win.
The Maple Leafs needed the win after losing five of their last six before last night. At the same time, Samsonov needed a strong game for a personal re-set and to help his team.
Item One: Ilya Samsonov Returns to Form
Perhaps as valuable to the team as the two points was that Samsonov had a solid game. He didn’t face a ton of shots, but the ones he did face, he stopped. It was his first win in almost six weeks, dating back to Dec. 9, when he shut out the Nashville Predators 4-0. In between, he’d lost five straight, giving up almost 30 goals.
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On Sunday night, Samsonov faced 17 shots and made 16 saves – some of them highlight-reel stops, including a key stop on Justin Schultz in the third period that would have tied the game. During his five-game losing streak, he put up some sad numbers with a 5.32 goals-against average (GAA) and a .811 save percentage.
Samsonov’s return to form comes at a crucial time for the Maple Leafs. The question now is whether he can reprise that same level of play or whether he’ll slide back into the same swamp from which he emerged. Given Martin Jones’ recent fall-off in play, the goaltending situation for Toronto remains uncertain. Until Joseph Woll returns, which goalie will emerge as the starter?
Still, Samsonov’s effort against the Kraken is a huge positive for both the goalie and the team. It gives the team hope for the two games against the high-flying Winnipeg Jets before the All-Star break.
Item Two: Auston Matthews Scores Yet Again
Matthews showed his offensive firepower again last night. He not only started the team off on the right foot, but he extended his point streak to four games. With the goal, he also passed the legendary George Armstrong for the third-most game-opening goals in Toronto history. It was Matthews’ 57th goal to start a game.
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Once again, the Matthews and Mitch Marner hook-up got the ball rolling. Matthews skated into a strong position in front of the net, took a precise pass from Marner and skillfully back-handed the puck past goalie Joey Daccord. This goal was Matthews’ league-leading 38th of the season – he’s firing at a solid clip of 19.8 percent. Almost one in five shots he fires at the net goes in.
Matthews’ crucial goal helped the Maple Leafs record their 23rd win of the season. He’s been outstanding in the last four games, although two were losses, and he’s averaging two points per game during his four-game-point streak with five goals and three assists. Fifty goals on the season look easy to reach, but can he hit the 60 mark again? He’s on pace.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
During Toronto’s recent games, as fans know too well, the team has had a tough time maintaining leads. Fortunately, Sunday night’s game was different. The Maple Leafs played solid team defence throughout to help their goalie. In fact, over the last two games, the team has given up only 38 total shots.
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The Maple Leafs’ 3-1 win over the Kraken was a solid rebound effort. Now, can the team head into the All-Star break with another two strong games in a back-to-back against the Jets starting on Wednesday (Jan. 24)?
