Capitals’ Goalie Prospect Ilya Samsonov Returns to Form, Wins in Shootout

Washington Capitals goalie prospect, Ilya Samsonov, who has struggled at the start of this KHL season, turned in a gem Thursday evening against Nizhnekamsk. 

Samsonov stopped 46 of 48 shots he faced and then all four shootout attempts to get the points against Nizhnekamsk. He turned in this frenetic series of saves early in the contest.

 

The game would remain tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation and ultimately be decided via the shootout. Samsonov would stop all four attempts he faced to seal the victory for Metallurg.

 

With the win, Samsonov improves to 4-3 on the season with a .900 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average. Prior to his last two starts, Samsonov had an .881 save percentage with a 3.20 goals against average, so he is certainly beginning to trend in the right direction. Additionally, Metallurg has proven to have a suspect defense in the early going this season, so Samsonov’s slow start may not sit entirely upon his shoulders.

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.

Related articles:
Capitals’ Goalie Prospect Ilya Samsonov Goes Head-to-Head with Rangers’ Goalie Prospect Igor Shestyorkin in KHL Action
Ilya Samsonov Wins Second Consecutive Game of KHL Season
Ilya Samsonov Makes 2017-2018 KHL Season Debut
Ilya Samsonov Wants You To Know He Does Not Wear Golden Diapers

By Jon Sorensen

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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3 Responses to Capitals’ Goalie Prospect Ilya Samsonov Returns to Form, Wins in Shootout

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