For the second consecutive time this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender Ilya Samsonov struggled significantly against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
On Friday, he allowed six goals on just 21 shots, putting his team in a tough spot and ultimately costing them the victory.
Sheldon Keefe Urges Treliving to Addres Goaltenders Issues
This performance pushed Sheldon Keefe to publicly address his general manager, Brad Treliving, regarding the Leafs' goaltending situation.
He subtly called upon Treliving to look at his options in the trade market:
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"I'm sure [Brad Treliving] is going to consider everything."
Following this loss, Samsonov found himself ranked second in the NHL for the worst goaltenders who have played at least 10 games this season.
Throughout the season, Samsonov's teammates had bailed him out on multiple occasions. It's surprising how he struggled in the first 15 games of the year yet managed to tally only two losses in regulation time.
Samsonov Opens Up on his Issues in an Interview
Samsonov opened up during an interview about his recent struggles following the tough 6-5 OT loss against the Blue Jackets.
"The last three games, I didn't see a lot of luck... It's easy to put your head down and just cry and be sad. I'm sad about this, but I need to continue to work. Maybe next game, maybe next three games, the luck is back. Tough game for me, bad result. I don't know, a lot of emotion right now after the game. I need to prepare for the next game, this game's over. If you start thinking too much, it's probably worse. It's (my) first game after Christmas break, just head up, continue to move."
It's encouraging to see Samsonov leeping a positive attitude and focusing on putting in the effort to get back on the right track.
As seen on Hockey Patrol - Ilya Samsonov finally breaks his silence about his struggles this season
| POLL | ||
31 DECEMBRE | 504 ANSWERS Ilya Samsonov Makes a Major Declaration on His Tough Season Do you think Samsonov should be sent down to the AHL? | ||
| Yes | 410 | 81.3 % |
| No | 94 | 18.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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