Dave Feschuk: It’s easy to blame goaltending for the Maple Leafs’ problems. It’s also wrong …
Toronto’s dismal results against less-than-stellar opposition have taken a toll, and Ilya Samsonov is hardly the only reason. Another test awaits Saturday in Columbus.
It’s easy enough to blame the Maple Leafs’ latest setback on Ilya Samsonov. No matter which way you look at the numbers, Samsonov has been inarguably abysmal.
Of the 59 goaltenders who’d played in at least 10 NHL games heading into Friday, the goaltender who began this season as the Leafs’ No. 1 ranked 58th in save percentage. It’s worth noting that the netminder who is 59th on that list, Carolina’s Antti Raanta, recently cleared waivers before being reassigned to the AHL. For the shambolic Samsonov, who was chased from Thursday’s embarrassing 9-3 loss in Buffalo after allowing five goals on 19 shots, a trip to the minors is not out of the realm of possibility.
The league average save percentage is .903. Samsonov has managed to achieve a figure equal to or greater than that in just five of his 14 starts.
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