It's too early to say if Ilya Samsonov has firmly placed his early-season struggles in the rearview mirror, but the Russian has been nothing short of excellent since returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Shortly after being recalled from the American Hockey League, the goaltender stopped 16-of-17 shots thrown his way in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday.

And three nights later, he followed it up with a heroic 32-save shutout to help the Leafs beat the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Many of the 18,972 spectators in attendance at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto were chanting “Sammy” throughout the game, and the 26-year-old revealed how much the support meant to him after the win.

“It’s unbelievable, you know, like I almost cried,” Samsonov admitted. “This is really important for me, a really big moment for me. It’s huge.”

Ilya Samsonov poised to turn his season around?

Ilya Samsonov with 👀 (Toronto Maple Leafs)

It's been a long season for the former first-round pick, but the netminder may have regained his confidence after a stint in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.

Since being recalled to the Leafs' roster on Jan. 10, Samsonov has allowed just four goals on 72 shots while going 2-1. Although he remains stuck with an awful 3.45 goals-against average and .875 save percentage, he could be turning a corner in 2024.

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“Unbelievable. I thought he was the best player on the ice for us by far,” Auston Matthews said after scoring the lone goal — and overtime winner — in the 1-0 victory. “I can't say enough good things about him. The way he played tonight was incredible.”

“He was terrific,” head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed. “Just another building block for him where he just looks as confident as ever.”

The Leafs were outshot 16-4 in the opening frame, and Samsonov kept his team in the contest for long stretches throughout the night. That was highlighted by an outrageous sequence on a Jets 2-on-0 in the second period, in which he made a pair of phenomenal saves:

With the second shutout of his 2023-24 season secured, Ilya Samsonov looks ready to regain the starting job in Toronto.

He'll almost certainly be back between the pipes when the Leafs meet these same Jets on Saturday — this time in Winnipeg — for each team's final game before the All-Star break.