Washington Capitals: Top 3 stars of April so far

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Zdeno Chara, Ilya Samsonov, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

The Washington Capitals have a different look this month than they had in previous months following the aftermath of the NHL trade deadline. In the final full month of the regular season, the Caps are looking to get as much points as they can to win the MassMutual East Division.

So which players on the Caps rose to the occasion so far in a month that’s seen the team go 6-5-0 with four big games remaining to close out the month and 10 remaining overall? We take a look at the best of the best.

Ilya Samsonov, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports /

#3 Ilya Samsonov

Ilya Samsonov has had an up and down season. But so far he’s caught his stride with more ups than downs. So far in the month of April, he carries a 3-2-0 record with a .880 save percentage. So far this season, Samsonov is 11-3-1 with a 2.84 goals against average and a .898 save percentage.

Vitek Vanecek has also been excellent but his two losses to the Sabres and Bruins gave Sammy the chance to make the cut on this list. But that doesn’t mean Vanecek hasn’t been stellar who is one of Washington’s best rookie goaltenders. Vanecek’s record is 17-9-3 with a 2.77 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

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