WASHINGTON – The applause of the fans brought Ilya Samsonov to tears on the way to his first victory in the playoffs in the NHL.
Songs of “Alone! Alone! ” followed by one of the many important saves he made in the 6-1 defeat of Washington by Florida in Game 3 on Saturday. Samsonov bounced back after conceding an early goal and the Sofia team returned after losing in Match 2 to take the lead in the series against the Panthers, who won the presidential trophy.
Samsonov made 29 saves in his first start this post-season, taking over Vitek Vanecek and giving teammates and coach Peter Laviolet exactly what they had hoped for from a goalkeeper whose game ranges from stellar to suspicious. From the great saves of the captain of Florida Alexander Barkov to the suspension of Sam Reinhart, which ignited the chanting, this was the best of Samsonov at the right time.
“I’m ready all the time,” he said. “Sometimes you start playoffs, sometimes another goalkeeper, but you have to prepare for every game. I understand that if you want to win, you have to win 16 games. “
The Capitals will need two more of this round to begin. Match 4 is on Monday in Washington.
Alex Ovechkin scored in power play and assisted on TJ Oshi’s goal. Marcus Johansson, Trevor van Rimsdick and Garnet Hathaway also scored, with John Carlson contributing an empty net to the Capitals, who shook off a 5-1 loss in Match 2 and an early deficit in Match 3 behind their new incumbent and goalkeeper’s modest effort. which stopped the NHL’s best offense of the regular season.
“We all know that the playoffs have their swings and impulses,” said Oshi, who redirected Ovechkin’s shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his goal. “One team wins one game, the other team will make some adjustments and will focus on you twice as hard in the next game. They did that in game 2 and it was our turn to answer in game 3 and I think the boys did a really good job of dropping the puck. ”
Samsonov received Vanecek’s nod in the net after stopping all 17 relief shots on Thursday. He started roughly, conceding a goal to MVP candidate Jonathan Huberdo in less than three minutes – then stopped every shot he saw until the end of the road.
“A little nervous for the first five minutes, but it’s normal for a goalkeeper,” Samsonov said. “After a few rescues, I feel pretty good physically, mentally.”
With Samsonov’s backbone with equal strength and a short arm, Washington’s penalty improved to 9 out of 9 against Florida, which ranks fifth in strength this season by just under 25%. The Panthers also led the league in more than four goals per game.
But this series against an opponent with more experience in post-season hockey – seven players left from the Washington Stanley Cup Championship 2018 – was another tough lesson for the Panthers on how to win the playoffs. Poorly recommended penalties by top defenders Mackenzie Wigar and Huberdo paved the way for goals in power play, a missed defensive task opened the door for Johansson and a corner corner led to van Rimsdike’s.
“For me, the disappointment was taken for some reason,” said interim coach Andrew Brunet. “When you get frustrated, it usually means you don’t work hard enough. Our race was not what it was all year. It could be nerves. But we have to find a way. You get frustrated when you don’t work hard. This is the case at the moment. You do undisciplined things because you are disappointed. ”
Such mistakes cost Florida in the first round last year: a loss to Tampa Bay on the way to Lightning’s second consecutive title. This time alone, the Panthers were expected to make a deep run after collecting the top 122 points in the NHL with 58 wins in 82 games.
If they don’t win three more next week, it will be another disappointment for the franchise, which has not advanced to the playoffs since 1996 and entered the post-season as one of the favorites to lift the Cup. Defender Brandon Montour said the Panthers “were not ready to play”.
“This is playoff hockey – it will be tight,” Monur said. “We just have to play harder. That’s where it starts. “
Eighth in the Eastern Conference, Caitles improved to 4 out of 12 in the series. Their victory guarantees at least two more home playoff games this spring, although Monday will not be easy against the angry Panthers and Laviolet knows it.
“If we don’t follow him, it’s up to us,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. We need to make sure that our thinking knows exactly where they are. “
NOTES: Ovechkin’s goal was his 72nd in the playoffs, which put him on par with Patrick Marlowe and Esa Tikanen for 14th place in the career list. His 28 goals in power play were tied for seventh. Ке Capitals’ right winger Tom Wilson missed a second straight game with a lower body injury. … Connor McMichael made his NHL playoff debut, replacing Brett Leeson, who replaced Wilson in Game 2.
Add Comment