#5 Ilya Samsonov
The rookie netminder has shown that the future of the net in Washington belongs to him. Ilya Samsonov was enjoying a solid first season in Washington but also had his share of slumps.
Samsonov carried a 16-6-2 record before the pause in 26 games with a 2.55 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 4 stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced for the win. He followed that up with a win in Dallas where he stopped 24 of 25 shots.
Samsonov got his first home win which was a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs where he stopped 29 of 32 shots. He followed that up with two more wins.
After two tough losses, one in overtime granted, Samsonov won four games in a row. Then came his best stretch of the season that got the whole town buzzing on the goaltending duo. It was a stretch where Samsonov won seven straight games.
Unfortunately, it was the last time Samsonov won as he struggled to get a win since before the pause. Struggles happen though when it comes to rookies so no reason to panic.
One thing is certain, Samsonov has made the future of goaltending exciting in Washington and if the season continues it’ll be a storyline worth watching.