Washington Capitals goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov made his fourth start of the young KHL season on Friday night when Metallurg visited SKA at the Ice Palace in Saint Petersburg. Samsonov and Metallurg would fall to SKA 4-3 in overtime. 

Samsonov, 20, would go head-to-head with Rangers’ top goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin, who was an impressive 3-0 with a .940 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.46 goals against average (GAA) for SKA, coming into the contest.

Samsonov would make a nifty save on the one and only Pavel Datsyuk early in the first period of the contest. However, Datsyuk would enact revenge later in the contest.

Samsonov would yield one goal in the opening frame. Viktor Tikhonov would finish with a nice behind-the-net move to give SKA the 1-0 lead going into the first intermission.

Metallurg would tie the game 1-1 early in the second period before SKA would stretch their lead to 3-1 early in the third period. SKA’s third goal came on a blast from the left circle. Samsonov casually played a puck behind the net that ultimately lead to a turnover and the SKA goal. SKA would lead 3-1 after two periods of play.

As for the conclusion of the game, Metallurg would rally in the third period to tie the game 3-3 with less than a minute to go, but ultimately lose the game overtime.

Samsonov stopped 26 of 30 shots in the game. He is now 3-1 with an .881 SV% and a 3.23 GAA.

Samsonov is in the last year of his KHL contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and will very likely report to Hershey no later than March, 2018 (end of KHL season), if all goes according to plan.

By Jon Sorensen

Game recap here.
Additional photos from the game: