Martin Jones gets behind Ilya Samsonov’s return to form in Leafs net

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From his perch at the end of the Maple Leafs bench, Martin Jones silently cheers whenever Ilya Samsonov makes a big save.

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As much as Jones would prefer to be in the Leafs net more often, the National Hockey League veteran fully respects Samsonov’s return to good form following struggles that plagued the latter from October through December.

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“It’s awesome,” Jones said after taking part in the Leafs’ optional morning skate on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena. ‘We’ve all been through tough stretches and it’s not easy mentally. 

“It’s not easy to bounce back the way he has. Credit to him, he has played unbelievable for us. It’s great to see, absolutely.”

Though Joseph Woll is not close to returning from a sprained ankle that has kept him in recovery mode since Dec. 7, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe hasn’t had much of a reason recently to give Jones a start considering Samsonov’s play. 

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Going into the game against the visiting Dallas Stars, Samsonov had won three of his previous four starts, though he could not cover up for some teammates’ mistakes in a 3-2 loss against the New York Islanders on Monday.

When Samsonov cleared waivers on Jan. 1 and was sent to the Toronto Marlies to try to re-discover what made him sharp in 2022-23, Jones helped keep the Leafs’ heads above water, putting together a string of four consecutive victories. In five games after that run — but none since Jan. 20 — Jones came back down to earth, going 1-3-1.

The Leafs don’t have a back-to-back set again until Feb. 21-22 in Arizona and Vegas, respectively, so it could be a while before the 34-year-old Jones gets the call once more.

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“I have been around long enough to know how it works and my attitude has to just be to continue to work and be ready,” said Jones, who spent the NHL all-star break in Miami. “There are still (33) games left and a lot can happen. Nothing really changes for me. I just make sure I’m utilizing the practice time and staying as sharp as I can.”

GOOD MEMORIES

One of the more successful time periods for Leafs forward Max Domi in the NHL came last spring as a member of the Stars, when the club advanced to the Western Conference final before losing in six games to the Vegas Golden Knights, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Domi had 13 points (three goals and 10 assists) in 19 playoff games, enough for fourth in Stars scoring.

“Any time you get to play in games like that, it’s every single day you are growing as a player and as a person,” Domi said. “When you get a chance to play in conference final games against the team that ends up winning the Stanley Cup and you’re playing a pretty big role there, it builds a lot of confidence. 

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“When you get the trust from the coach and all of that stuff, that’s the best time of year to play hockey, and I enjoyed it. Bitter and sour about how we didn’t get the job done, but grateful for what I was able to pick up and learn along the way and the friendships that I built.”

With the Leafs in a race with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings for third place in the Atlantic Division, the level of intensity will rise — in theory, at least — in the team’s remaining 33 games after Wednesday.

“It’s night and day,” Domi said of the difference in games after the all-star break. “The second half, in particular the last third of the season, is the hockey that matters the most, because every team is playing at their best, everyone is getting hungry to keep chipping away at whatever part of the standings they are in to get into the playoffs or create some separation. And guys are fighting for jobs on teams that might be out of it. 

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“So you’re getting the best hockey possible from now until the end of the year. Teams are gearing up for the playoffs and as we all know, once you get to the playoffs, it’s like a chess match. The margin for error is getting slimmer and slimmer as the days go on. That’s the fun part and that’s also the challenge.”

LOOSE LEAFS

As trade speculation involving the Leafs continues to heat up with a month to go before the NHL deadline hits on March 8, Toronto prospect Easton Cowan was continuing to demonstrate why Leafs general manager Brad Treliving should resist any temptation to use him in a deal. Going into the London Knights game on Wednesday in Flint against the Firebirds, Cowan was riding an 18-game point streak, during which he had 36 points (13 goals and 23 assists). The most recent game in which Cowan, the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2023, didn’t have point was on Nov. 24 at Sudbury … Coming off a 2-1 win in Buffalo against the Sabres on Tuesday night, the Stars didn’t hold a morning skate. It was the fourth win in a row for Dallas, which finishes a three-game trip in Montreal against the Canadiens on Saturday … The Toronto Marlies will return home on Friday night to play the Laval Rocket at the Coca-Cola Coliseum after completing their annual Boat Show trip. With their home rink occupied, the Marlies went 5-2-2 in nine consecutive away games. Friday marks their first home game since Jan. 12.

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