Ilya Samsonov starts Game 3; Tom Wilson not available again originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Capitals will turn to Ilya Samsonov in net for Game 3, coach Peter Laviolette confirmed Saturday morning.
Samsonov entered Game 2 in relief of Vitek Vanecek and stopped all 17 third period shots he faced. The Capitals lost 5-1 as the series drew tied once again.
“He came in and we didn’t play very well in front of him,†Laviolette said. “He looked really good in there and comfortable. Like we said before the series, it’s something we’ve done this year, is that both goaltenders have had an opportunity and gone in and played well. He jumped in off the bench, he did a really good job, our team wasn’t quite on point and he was sharp.â€
The Capitals will also be without forward Tom Wilson (lower-body injury) for Game 3. Wilson suffered the injury Tuesday in the Capitals’ Game 1 win.
Laviolette said the team was “working through some things in the room†on potential lineup changes, meaning the lineup the Capitals deployed in Game 2 might not stay the same.
All first-round games of Capitals vs. Panthers will be available regionally on NBC Sports Washington and streamed live on the MyTeams app.
