Samsonov presented with a chance to establish himself as the go-to guy

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

Follow| Archive

The Maple Leafs practised at Ford Performance Centre on Sunday. 

At the end of Sunday's practice, Sheldon Keefe pulled Ilya Samsonov aside for a chat. 

"Just sort of to lay out the plan for him," the coach revealed. "He is going to be busy and because of that, it is that much more important that he takes care of himself and is ready for the extra load. Yesterday, he looked good. He should be confident with the work he has put in and how he has performed. I wanted to make sure he was still smiling."

We can confirm the 25-year-old is still grinning from ear to ear. 

"A couple nice wins," a beaming Samsonov said. "We got some smiles."

Sheldon Keefe on message to Ilya Samsonov after practice “Just sort of lay out the plan for him. That he’s going to busy &, because of that, that much more important that he takes care of himself & is ready for the extra load … & wanted to make sure he was still smiling” pic.twitter.com/MoLfEPdkVX

Samsonov has stopped 50 of 54 shots in a pair of wins to start his Toronto tenure. With Matt Murray sidelined for at least four weeks with an adductor injury, the first Russian goalie to play for the franchise will now get a chance to establish himself as the go-to guy. 

"Nothing change for me," Samsonov insisted. 

How will he handle the pressure? 

"Handle, like with stick?" he joked while making a stick-handling motion. "I didn't feel pressure. I had a great summer. I keep working hard."

The Washington Capitals opted not to extend a qualifying offer to their 2015 first-round pick during the summer, which made him an unrestricted free agent. Samsonov then signed a one-year deal in Toronto. 

"He had other opportunities," Keefe noted. "He could've got more years.