The Washington Capitals made a change in net for Game 3, as Ilya Samsonov got the start against the Florida Panthers. Samsonov proved Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette right for the switch by stopping 29 of 30 shots.
The Capitals’ offense picked up on Samsonov’s energy to rout the Panthers by the score of 6-1 for the young netminder’s first career playoff win. Now Washington leads the Panthers 2-1 in the first-round series.
Samsonov even had a hand in one of Washington’s impressive goals in the second period. His pad save created a breakaway that culminated in a Marcus Johansson to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead.
The pumped Capitals fans serenade Samsonov with chants of “Sammy! Sammy! Sammy!”
Following the Game 3 win, Ilya Samsonov said he was “close to crying” after hearing the fans chant his name.
“I was close to crying, you know,” Samsonov told reporters. “Thank you fans. It’s important too. Thank you, team. Lot of blocks today. It was more important that we play[ed] together and we got great result.”
Samsonov’s performance was a breath of fresh air for Washington. Vitek Vanecek started Game 1 and Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. While Vanecek only allowed one goal and won the first game, the concern was he struggled to locate the puck at times.
Those concerns were confirmed in Thursday’s Game 2, as Vanecek allowed five goals on 18 shots before getting hooked at the end of the second period. Samsonov played the third period, stopping all 17 shots he faced. While the pressure down 5-1 isn’t the same, Samsonov got the nod for Saturday’s Game 3.
There’s no question Samsonov will be in net to start Game 4 on Monday. It remains to be seen if he can duplicate Saturday’s performance. However, he certainly won’t forget the experience of his first win in the postseason and the fans showing their appreciation towards him.
