Should We Trust the Maple Leafs Goaltending Tandem?

When the Toronto Maple Leafs replaced Jack Campbell with former Pittsburgh Penguin and Ottawa Senator Matt Murray and former Washington Capital Ilya Samsonov, fans had questions.

Could Murray return to his 2016-2017 Stanley Cup-winning form for the Maple Leafs? Could he simply be better than he was in Ottawa? Would Ilya Samsonov be capable of reaching a higher level than he did in Washington?

Through the first two months of the season, both netminders have done their best to answer the above questions. Some fans, I’m sure, have already been convinced that the Leafs have the right duo in place. I have a friend who feels strongly about that.

Murray has posted a 6-1-2 record in nine games to go with a 2.34 goals against average (GAA) and a .932 save percentage. Samsonov, who has played in ten games, is 8-2 with a 1.87 GAA and a .933 save percentage.

Can the Maple Leafs trust Murray and Samsonov?

Give both guys credit, as they’re big reasons that the Maple Leafs enter Saturday’s action with a 17-5-6 record. Samsonov is second among NHL goaltenders in both GAA and save percentage, while Murray is tied for third in the latter. Toronto’s team defense ranks third in the league.

With all of that said, I still don’t think these two can be trusted, at least not yet. Fans can give them the benefit of the doubt. Fans can be more optimistic about the Maple Leafs goaltending situation than they were at the beginning of the season.

But both players are playing so much better than their career averages, so why would fans treat two months as if they outweigh everything they’ve seen from these players over the last several years?

To put things in perspective, the 28 games that Toronto has played so far are barely more than they’d play during a run to the Stanley Cup Final. If both goalies continue at this level (or a similar level, as .930 save percentages are difficult to uphold) throughout the year, I’ll feel differently.

I mean, Murray hasn’t even stayed healthy in this season’s opening months, which has been a knock on him in the past, and Samsonov has played 26, 19, and 44 games in his first three seasons. Both guys still have something to prove.

I’d love to see both players prove me wrong, and I’d love to see the Maple Leafs exorcise their playoff demons. I’m just not ready to latch on to the idea that two months can change everything for Toronto’s outlook.