It Wasn't Pretty, But It Was a Win for Ilya Samsonov in His Capitals Return

It wasn't pretty, but it was a win for Samsonov in his return originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

As New Jersey Devils forward Mikhail Maltsev skated the puck into the offensive zone he looked and saw three white jerseys in between him and his nearest teammate. With no one to pass to, he fired a hopeful shot from the top of the faceoff dot. It wasn't a shot that he or probably anyone on the ice expected to go in, least of all Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov. But as he got in position to stop the shot, he failed to squeeze the arm to his body fast enough allowing the shot to trickle through. Samsonov immediately looked behind him then looked back up as the Devils began to celebrate the improbable goal.

That was not how Samsonov wanted the game to start.

"He’d probably like another chance at the beginning at those," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "That being said, as the game moved on, I thought he looked more and more comfortable."

Starting an NHL game for the first time since Jan. 17, Samsonov turned in a rusty performance in the Caps' 3-2 win over the Devils on Sunday. He allowed two goals on the night, both from the kind of distance you would expect an NHL goalie to stop.

In the second period, Yegor Sharangovich scored a very similar goal from the top of the faceoff circle the snuck through the arm and body of Samsonov, only this time the goal was through his right arm instead of his left. Both were the type of goals that could shake the confidence of a goalie who was looking to build his back up.

The 2021 season was supposed to be Samsonov's big break. With long-time starter Braden Holtby gone, this was supposed to be the year Samsonov took over as the No. 1. But after just two starts, Samsonov tested positive for the coronavirus. He dealt with symptoms while out and it has been a long road back to the NHL. He was sent to Hershey twice for conditioning. After four starts there, he finally got his opportunity between the pipes with Washington on Sunday.

The performance was a shaky one, to say the least. Even with the two goals, he looked unsure of himself at times. He has always had a frenetic style of play, but it was always decisive energy. On Sunday he looked more like a goalie just trying to hold on.

At least at the start.

Later into the game, Samsonov began to recover and his play improved.

"I thought he got stronger as the game went on, and then when it’s 3-2 and the game’s hanging in the balance, I actually thought that was when he was at his best," Laviolette said.

The real star of the game, undoubtedly, was Washington's defense. The Caps allowed only 21 shots on goal for the Devils and two high-danger scoring opportunities. They boxed New Jersey out from in front of the crease and slowed down New Jersey's speedy style of play.

But Samsonov deserves credit for how he rebounded as well. Despite the two shaky goals, he still stopped 19 out of 21 shots. With a .905 save percentage and only two goals allowed, it was statistically his best performance of the season.

By the end of the game, that confused look from earlier was replaced by a big smile that was visible from inside his mask as he celebrated the win with his teammates.

“It was great, it was great to see him back there and it was great to get him a win in the first game he is back to," Nicklas Backstrom said. "I thought they had some really good chances there in the third and he really, really played solid back there.”

"I think for him it was very important game mentally," Ovechkin said. "We tried to do our best blocking shots and play smart in the D-zone. For a kid who didn't play lots of games, to get a start right away and get a win it's very important. We all happy for him."

It wasn't pretty, but it was a win and that's something Samsonov can build off of as he tries to position himself as the team's No. 1 once again.

"In the third period, he made some really key saves for our team, which allowed us to walk out with the points," Laviolette said. "So overall it was a good day for him.”