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Ilya Samsonov received a text message from Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending coach Curtis Sanford on Saturday night that he was going to get his chance to get back in net.

And just like that the mystery of who was going to go in net for the Maple Leafs was solved.

Struggling mightily this season, the club was forced to drastic measures over the last couple of weeks. They played Samsonov, their top-paid goaltender, on waivers on Dec. 31 while calling up 22-year-old prospect goaltender Dennis Hildeby. With Joseph Woll sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since Dec. 7 and Martin Jones starting in seven consecutive games, the Leafs had to go with somebody else.

After the organizational decision was made to give Samsonov another shot, he looked comfortable in the net. The players in front of him were mediocre. The Leafs put their lines in a blender following the team's 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and Samsonov was challenged with difficult scoring chances, something that has happened with frequency whenever he has been in net this season.

With the game tied 2-2 in the third period, Samsonov made an outstanding save on Red Wings forward J.T. Compher.

"I thought be battled his ass off. It’s the best — I’ve thought — he’s looked all season." Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Some of the saves looked like the Sammy that we came to know last season. So I think this is a positive step for him. 

"Obviously, a disappointing result."

The Red Wings did get the go-ahead goal moments later when Andrew Copp's shot went through a screen.

The crowd chanted for 'Sammy! Sam-My!' after his save on Compher. Knowing what was at stake, the Scotiabank Arena crowd let out an exuberant cheer on his very first save of the game on Sunday, a routine 42-footer from Compher.

Some may have called it a Bronx cheer, given the goaltender had a save percentage of .862 going into the contest, but others see it as the crowd getting behind their troubled goalie as he works his way back to building his confidence.

No matter how you interpret it, Samsonov chose to look at it positively.

"I love these guys. It’s no secret for anybody I love the fans," Samsonov said. "I love the city. I enjoy to play and to be here."

"Step-by-step is my mission right now."

The Maple Leafs called up Samsonov last week from the Toronto Marlies with the hope that he can be useful in Toronto's net. The unexpected rise of Jones, the club's No. 3 goalie option heading into this season, allowed the Leafs to give the 26-year-old some time to get his game back. 

The question remains: Has he done enough? 

The Maple Leafs kick off a four-game road trip against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday and end it with a pair of games on back-to-back nights on Saturday and Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken, respectively.

Samsonov will almost certainly get one of those starts on the weekend. And given that he wasn't beating himself up after falling to 5-3-6 this season, it's perhaps a small sign that the goaltender has bottomed out.

"I think I’m seeing the puck really good," Samsonov said. "I feel good after a little bit reset my mind.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Maple Leafs and was syndicated with permission.

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