Ilya Samsonov admits he nearly came to tears during 1-0 OT win

Instead of an offensive shootout that many were expecting heading into tonight's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and visiting Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Arena, it was both goaltenders who stole the show and allowed zero goals between them during the 60 minutes of regulation. 

Not surprisingly, it was the NHL's leading goal scorer in forward Auston Matthews who finally broke the ice in overtime, beating goaltender Laurent Brossoit (29 saves) and giving the Maple Leafs the 1-0 OT win. 

And for goaltender Ilya Samsonov, he certainly earned his second shutout of the season. He made several key saves, including a pair of stops on a stunning 2-on-0 Jets rush in the 2nd period: 

Afterward, the Russian goaltender admitted that he was on the verge of tears when he heard the crowd chanting his name in appreciation. 

"It's unbelievable, you know, like I almost cried," he said.

Samsonov's second year with the Maple Leafs has been largely challenging. He was even waived by the Leafs at one point and sent down to their American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies in an effort to regain his form. Although the wins didn't start flowing immediately upon his return, he has now secured two consecutive victories. 

Considering the manner in which he earns the win tonight, it should go a long way toward helping his confidence.

Samsonov and the Leafs will once again face one another on Saturday night, but the scene will shift to Winnipeg at Canada Life Centre. 

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