Leafs amazed by home support as playoff run continues
Story by Lance Hornby • Yesterday
Toronto Sun
The crowds are going wild in Maple Leaf Square and all over the city as the Leafs continue their playoff campaign, and Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov can’t get enough. “Just huge. So nice,” he said.
Story by Lance Hornby • Yesterday
Toronto Sun
The crowds are going wild in Maple Leaf Square and all over the city as the Leafs continue their playoff campaign, and Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov can’t get enough. “Just huge. So nice,” he said.
Chris young/THE CANADIAN PRESS© Provided by Toronto Sun
After Ilya Samsonov helped secure Game 6 on Saturday in Tampa Bay, his wife sent him some video of the party scenes back home that the overtime win had sparked.
They included the thousands reacting in real time in Maple Leaf Square, the honking horns and Leaf flags in the streets. People climbing light poles on Bremner Boulevard.
“Just huge, so nice” said the Russian goaltender. “She said it was so loud after we won and because we live downtown, our baby (one-month-old son Miroslav) is almost waking up.”
After their own emotional scene on the ice and in the visitors’ room at Amalie Arena, other Leafs caught clips of the celebrants. Morgan Rielly had been told to expect this whenever the team got past the first round, but it took 10 years. For impatient revellers it had been 19 seasons.
“To win one is like a breath of fresh air,” the defenceman said. “We all knew pretty quickly what was happening here, because we had friends in the Square. It’s so cool. We feel so lucky to have this kind of support and don’t take it for granted. It makes you want to win more for them.”
Another veteran blueliner Luke Schenn, whose first stint in Toronto as a young draft pick had no playoff series, had now been in two Cup parades in Tampa, but wants to keep the streets filled post-game here.
“That was wild, all the fans holding up jerseys,” he said. “Seemed like it brought a ton of people a lot of joy. People have been waiting for that a long time.
“It kind of brings people closer together. We have some who probably grew up talking about the history of the Leafs with their parents or grandparents and friends. That’s what you want sports to be.”
Samsonov came home Sunday and stepped out to dinner with a couple of Russian-speaking Marlies where he was quickly recognized by a few fans.
“They said ‘congrats, good job boys’. I know how important the first round is for this city.”
lhornby@postmedia.com
After Ilya Samsonov helped secure Game 6 on Saturday in Tampa Bay, his wife sent him some video of the party scenes back home that the overtime win had sparked.
They included the thousands reacting in real time in Maple Leaf Square, the honking horns and Leaf flags in the streets. People climbing light poles on Bremner Boulevard.
“Just huge, so nice” said the Russian goaltender. “She said it was so loud after we won and because we live downtown, our baby (one-month-old son Miroslav) is almost waking up.”
After their own emotional scene on the ice and in the visitors’ room at Amalie Arena, other Leafs caught clips of the celebrants. Morgan Rielly had been told to expect this whenever the team got past the first round, but it took 10 years. For impatient revellers it had been 19 seasons.
“To win one is like a breath of fresh air,” the defenceman said. “We all knew pretty quickly what was happening here, because we had friends in the Square. It’s so cool. We feel so lucky to have this kind of support and don’t take it for granted. It makes you want to win more for them.”
Another veteran blueliner Luke Schenn, whose first stint in Toronto as a young draft pick had no playoff series, had now been in two Cup parades in Tampa, but wants to keep the streets filled post-game here.
“That was wild, all the fans holding up jerseys,” he said. “Seemed like it brought a ton of people a lot of joy. People have been waiting for that a long time.
“It kind of brings people closer together. We have some who probably grew up talking about the history of the Leafs with their parents or grandparents and friends. That’s what you want sports to be.”
Samsonov came home Sunday and stepped out to dinner with a couple of Russian-speaking Marlies where he was quickly recognized by a few fans.
“They said ‘congrats, good job boys’. I know how important the first round is for this city.”
lhornby@postmedia.com
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