The two biggest questions heading into the Capitals鈥� first-round series against the Florida Panthers have been answered: Alex Ovechkin will be in the Game 1 lineup, and Vitek Vanecek will start in goal.
Ovechkin will return after missing the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury suffered April 24. He was a full participant at the Capitals鈥� two practices before they flew to Florida on Monday, and acknowledged that he could have played last week if they were playoff games. His return to the lineup, while reassuring to the team, is hardly unexpected.
鈥淎lex always wants to play, but he was held out,鈥� head coach Peter Laviolette said after the Capitals鈥� morning skate. 鈥淚t was just best for him. He wants to play all the time. You鈥檝e got to love a guy like that. He always wants to be in the lineup. But he was dealing with some stuff and it [was] best just to move forward and have him ready for Game 1.”
Regarding the goaltending, the decision to start Vanecek shouldn鈥檛 be viewed as a huge surprise, but it wasn鈥檛 a slam dunk either. Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov started 39 games each during the regular season. A case could have been made to start either in the series opener.
Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov started 39 games each during the regular season. A case could have been made to start either in the series opener.
Ideally, one of the two would have emerged as the undisputed No. 1 goalie down the stretch. Instead, inconsistencies in their games led to the two splitting starts for much of the season.
Vanecek went 20-12-6 during the regular season with a 2.67 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Samsonov was 23-12-5 with a 3.02 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.
鈥淰itek鈥檚 body of work has been just a little bit stronger, but it鈥檚 close,鈥� Laviolette said. 鈥淰itek, we gave the start to last year [in the playoffs] and it didn鈥檛 go the way he wanted or as planned [due to injury]. But the body of work that he had this year just earns him the nod for Game 1.鈥�
With Vanecek getting the call for Game 1, a new line of questions now come up: How will Vanecek fare against the NHL鈥檚 highest-scoring team? And how long can he remain the No. 1 before head coach Peter Laviolette turns to Samsonov?
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 happened,鈥� Laviolette said this week of one goalie separating himself from the other. 鈥淎nd yet, we had a 100-point season. We鈥檝e been able to find success with that. They are two young goaltenders that are pushing every day. I don鈥檛 know if it surprises me, but that鈥檚 where we are at right now. We鈥檝e relied on both goaltenders. We鈥檙e going to count on both goaltenders.鈥�
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