Auston Matthews stands up for teammate amidst growing media speculation

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Dawson Mckenzie
January 22, 2024 (10:53)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to squeak out a win against the Kraken last night, and as is tradition, Auston Matthews handed the game belt to this player, whom the media quickly thought was a charity pick.

Ilya Samsonov is slowly making his way back into the regular rotation in net for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last night he was given the start as the Leafs were on the second leg of a back-to-back. Of course, all eyes were on Samsonov in his second game since being sent to the minors.

Samsonov took the pressure in stride, letting in just 1 goal on 17 shots for a .941 save percentage in the game. He had some pretty incredible saves to keep the Leafs ahead in the game, closing out a much-needed win for the Leafs after dropping their game against the Canucks.

For his services, Samsonov was properly celebrated by his teammates as the buzzer sounded, getting some hugs for his first win since December.

Lots of extra head pats and big hugs for Ilya Samsonov tonight after his first win in over a month, which required some excellent athletic saves. 🥰

For his performance, Auston Matthews handed off the game belt to Samsonov. This was immediately met by some speculation by the media, as Samsonov only faced 17 shots on the night. They speculated that this was a 'charity' move by Matthews to boost Samsonov's confidence. Matthews immediately shut that notion down, saying that Samsonov deserved the game belt.

"I don't think it was, like, a charity gift. You know, very well deserved. Obviously it's been tough for him the last couple weeks & I think tonight was a really good step in the right direction..."

The Leafs will look to build on this win against the red-hot Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.

As Seen on Maple Leafs Daily
Auston Matthews defends teammate amid media speculation