Samsonov shuts door on Geese, Leafs resurgence comes full circle in decisive victory

TORONTO — On a raucous Tuesday night time below the Scotiabank Enviornment lights, below a blanket of cheers from a hometown crowd that’s had lots to have a good time of late, all of it got here full circle for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Forty-four days in the past, when these Maple Leafs final met the Anaheim Ducks, they floundered. They bought uncovered, letting their youthful, extra inexperienced opponent mount a comeback and sink them. Letting a depressing road-trip streak stretch to 4 straight losses, letting the fan base really feel each bit defeated as the brand new season appeared to capsize.

After which all of it modified.

These Leafs discovered their legs, discovered their recreation. And within the weeks since — a month-and-a-half of franchise information and win streaks and career-best performances — they’ve let these followers cautiously dream of silver once more.

Leafs on Sportsnet NOW

Streaming Home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Stream the most games at the lowest price, plus hundreds of other NHL games, the All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Playoffs. SN NOW STANDARD and PREMIUM let you choose how much hockey you want to watch.

CHOOSE PLAN

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet
show: grid;
grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
hole: 20px;
width: 100%;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 16px;
border: 1px stable #CECECE;
background-color: #FFF;
border-radius: 4px;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info a
text-decoration: none;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-title
shade: #343434;
font-family: ‘roboto’;
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 22px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
high: -3px;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-body
shade: #343434;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 12px;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title
show: inline-block;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
list-style-type: none;
width: auto;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title:not(:last-child):after ‘;
shade: #343434;

Tuesday night time, with the Geese again in entrance of them, Toronto put an exclamation mark on that revival, doing what they need to’ve carried out in October and simply allotting with the basement-dwellers.

“I believe we’ve simply actually come along with the identification of the group, and the way troublesome now we have to be to play towards,” captain John Tavares mentioned from the bowels of Scotiabank Enviornment, after the ultimate buzzer had sounded. It’s a good guess the visiting facet down the corridor discovered his Maple Leafs lots troublesome to play towards given the ultimate rating on the night time, Tavares’ facet placing the Geese by means of a 7-0 drubbing to earn its fourth straight win, and fifteenth straight recreation with a degree collected.

“I believe we actually simply slowed them down and made it troublesome for them to get to the impartial zone and set up any type of offensive recreation,” the captain continued. “Simply sound play as a five-man unit and [them] having to return by means of all of us, after which that led to a whole lot of good offence. Good to see all strains contribute — a whole lot of guys chipping in, making performs, and placing the puck within the web as effectively.”

The night time wasn’t brief on offensive standouts, certainly.

On one finish of the bench was Alex Kerfoot, developing together with his first two-goal efficiency as a Leaf. Additional down, there was TJ Brodie, having scored his first of the 12 months. Additional nonetheless, Pierre Engvall, Michael Bunting, Joey Anderson, all with targets to their title. And a handful of different dutiful depth troopers — Pontus Holmberg, Conor Timmins, Rasmus Sandin — with multi-point nights of their very own.

As he has been on so many nights throughout his membership’s resurgence, Mitch Marner was on the centre of a lot of it. With a first-period help Tuesday — a dish that was the image of poise, No. 16 floating in direction of the opposing web and ready out each Duck on the ice earlier than feeding Tavares for a tap-in aim on the netfront — the winger prolonged his scoring streak to an absurd 23 video games.

var adServerUrl = “”;
var $el = $( “#video_container-671455” );
var permalink = $el.closest(‘.snet-single-article’).knowledge(‘permalink’);

/*
if ( “1” == true && ‘undefined’ !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) {
var so = preroll:1:1:siteID:191888,2:siteID:191889;
adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( ‘http://pubads.g.doubleclick.web/gampad/advertisements?sz=640×360&cust_params=domainpercent3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326percent2Fen.sportsnet.internetpercent2FVideo&ciu_szs=300×250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=huge&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6317182473112&cmsid=384’, so, permalink);
} else
adServerUrl = “http://pubads.g.doubleclick.web/gampad/advertisements?sz=640×360&cust_params=domainpercent3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326percent2Fen.sportsnet.internetpercent2FVideo&ciu_szs=300×250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=huge&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6317182473112&cmsid=384”;

*/
adServerUrl = “http://pubads.g.doubleclick.web/gampad/advertisements?sz=640×360&cust_params=domainpercent3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326percent2Fen.sportsnet.internetpercent2FVideo&ciu_szs=300×250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=huge&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6317182473112&cmsid=384”;
var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.contains(“cust_params”);
var queryString=”;
if(adServerUrl_result)
var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem(“theRED_loc”)

if(gettheDUFI)
queryString += “dufiid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;
queryString += “ppid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;
var ppid = “ppid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem(“DUFI_IP”)

if(DUFI_IP)
queryString += “dufiip=” + DUFI_IP + ‘&’;

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.exchange(/cust_params=/, ppid + ‘cust_params=” + encodeURIComponent(queryString) );

$el.after( unescape(“%3Cscript src=”” + (doc.location.protocol == “https:” ? “https://sb” : “http://b”) + “.scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js” %3Epercent3C/scriptpercent3E”) );

$( doc ).one( “prepared’, perform()
$( “#video_container-671455” ).SNPlayer(
bc_account_id: “1704050871”,
bc_player_id: “JCdte3tMv”,
//autoplay: true,
//is_has_autoplay_switch: false,
bc_videos: 6317182473112,
is_has_continuous_play: “false”,
adserverurl: adServerUrl,
part: “”,
thumbnail: “https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/6317182473112-1024×576.jpg”,
direct_url: “https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/gotta-see-it-marner-extends-his-point-streak-to-23-with-a-pinpoint-feed-to-tavares/”
);
);

var adServerUrl = “”;
var $el = $( “#video_container-410036” );
var permalink = $el.closest(‘.snet-single-article’).knowledge(‘permalink’);

if(gettheDUFI)
queryString += “dufiid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;
queryString += “ppid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;
var ppid = “ppid=” + gettheDUFI + ‘&’;

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem(“DUFI_IP”)

if(DUFI_IP)
queryString += “dufiip=” + DUFI_IP + ‘&’;

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.exchange(/cust_params=/, ppid + ‘cust_params=” + encodeURIComponent(queryString) );

$el.after( unescape(“%3Cscript src=”” + (doc.location.protocol == “https:” ? “https://sb” : “http://b”) + “.scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js” %3Epercent3C/scriptpercent3E”) );

$( doc ).one( “prepared’, perform()
$( “#video_container-410036” ).SNPlayer(
bc_account_id: “1704050871”,
bc_player_id: “JCdte3tMv”,
//autoplay: false,
//is_has_autoplay_switch: false,
bc_videos: 6317182473112,
is_has_continuous_play: “false”,
adserverurl: adServerUrl,
part: “”,
thumbnail: “https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/6317182473112-1024×576.jpg”,
direct_url: “https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/gotta-see-it-marner-extends-his-point-streak-to-23-with-a-pinpoint-feed-to-tavares/”
);
);

.acf-block-preview .br-video-thumbnail::earlier than
content material: “”;
place: absolute;
high: 45%;
left: 50%;
rework: translate3d(-50%, -50%, 0);
-moz-transform: translate3d(-50%, -50%, 0);
-ms-transform: translate3d(-50%, -50%, 0);
-o-transform: translate3d(-50%, -50%, 0);
-webkit-transform: translate3d(-50%, -50%, 0);
width: 20px;
top: 0px;
border-top: 14px stable clear;
border-left: 22px stable #fff;
border-bottom: 14px stable clear;
margin-left: 3px;

He completed the night time with one other level on the board, taking his whole to 32 over that 23-game roll.

However for all of the targets and factors piled up, it was the Leaf on the far finish of the sheet who wound up glinting golden with the player-of-the-game belt draped over his shoulder within the locker room post-game.

“A very long time I wait,” netminder Ilya Samsonov mentioned with a chuckle after the win was within the bag, giving the belt a pat. “I’m having fun with. I’ll fall asleep with this.”

His teammates certainly received’t thoughts if he holds onto the prize after the efficiency he got here up with Tuesday — a 28-save shutout that prolonged his run of not being scored on to 2 straight video games.

After all, by means of the early goings towards Anaheim, it seemed like his night time is likely to be headed down a unique path.

“I assumed we gave them just a bit bit an excessive amount of room within the first interval, somewhat too quick access to our zone and to the center of the ice. However Sammy was wonderful in that interval and allowed us to settle in,” head coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned of the 25-year-old. “His first interval was wonderful. After which a giant save within the second interval on a breakaway, and it’s nonetheless 2-0. After which I assumed the group took care of him from there.”

32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman know their hockey. Whether it’s the pros or juniors, they are always plugged in to the latest news, rumours and stories that you should know from around the game.

Link and subscribe for free

Marek on Twitter

Friedman on Twitter

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info a
text-decoration: none;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-title
shade: #343434;
font-family: ‘roboto’;
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 22px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
high: -3px;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-body
shade: #343434;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 12px;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title
show: inline-block;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
list-style-type: none;
width: auto;

.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title:not(:last-child):after ‘;
shade: #343434;

It’s been a tumultuous street for the younger Leafs ‘tender since making his strategy to Toronto, with accidents, a rollercoaster season, and difficult competitors for the highest job within the cage pushing him to seek out his greatest. On this night time, he gave it. And for many who share a dressing room with him, it’s no shock.

“What actually stands out is the work that he’s put in since he arrived at our facility, how he’s embraced this system,” mentioned Keefe. “Once I say that, I imply, it’s goalie coach, energy coach, efficiency group, nutritionist — it’s all through. He has embraced every little thing that we’ve delivered to him, and every little thing we’ve requested him to do.

“He’s put the work in, and I believe he feels good about the place he’s at together with his recreation.”

Samsonov agrees. But it surely’s straightforward, the goaltender says, when the entire group’s rolling like this.

“I believe all people feels comfy proper now, as a result of we play actually arduous,” he mentioned Tuesday night time. “It appears to be like like a champion group. That’s actually essential for us.”