Vitek Vanecek will make his 13th consecutive start in net for the Washington Capitals when the team faces off against the New York Rangers Saturday. Craig Anderson not Ilya Samsonov will be backing up Vanecek for Saturday’s matinee.
Samsonov instead won’t dress for the game. He is being assigned to the taxi squad while Anderson is being recalled.
Samsonov was recalled to the Capitals Friday after a two-game conditioning assignment with the Hershey Bears. Yet, Washington head coach Peter Laviolette says the 23-year goaltender is “still working on his conditioning,” according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post.
Laviolette won’t commit to a plan for who will start in net for Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. He wants to get through Saturday’s game before making any announcements towards the Devils game.
Samsonov hasn’t played in an NHL game since Jan. 17, as he along with three other Capitals were placed in the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Samsonov developed symptoms of the coronavirus and was not cleared to return until Feb. 8 along with Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov returned to the ice on Feb. 14, but Samsonov has taken longer to return in a game with the Capitals. The wait will expand for at least one more game.
