#1 Goaltending
The number one issue the Caps need to fix is their goaltending and now a competition has opened right back up. Vitek Vanecek had the number one starters job but after his recent starts that number one job is back up for grabs.
Tonight Ilya Samsonov gets the Tampa Bay Lightning. In my opinion if he does well he should get the start on Saturday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins while going back to Vanecek against the Boston Bruins the next day.
The Caps face four playoff teams in the next five games which is an ultimate test for both of them as to see who can secure the number one goaltending job in time for the playoffs next month.
Peter Laviolette said this on the goaltending situation:
"“There’s peaks and valleys in everybody’s career and there’s certainly peaks and valleys in a player’s season as well. Just talking with Vitek, we’re looking for him to get back dialed into where he was. He was really good and really strong for us for a long period of time, almost from like Jan. 1st on, and the games that he got, when he wasn’t injured, he did a really good job in net.”"
Now it’s Samsonov’s turn to shine. We’ll see if he can bring it tonight against the back to back Stanley Cup champions.