Varlamov Nearly Perfect in Debut

The Washington Capitals had two goalie concerns.  One, hot net-minder Brent Johnson, coming off four straight wins and three consecutive games allowing just one goal, had a sore hip, and the other netminder, Jose Theodore, was hurt.  So what did Bruce Boudreau do?  Recall Daren Machesney? Nope.  They called up the 2006 first round draft pick, 20 year old Simeon Varalamov from Hershey.

Why?  Well, Boudreau simply wanted to see what the young kid had after posting a 10-3 record with a 2.34 GAA in his first pro season in North America in Hershey (AHL) this season.  Likely nervous as hell, Varlamov was not only being asked to make his NHL debut off a whim, but in the largest NHL arena, in one of the most storied NHL cities, Montreal.
Varlamov’s response — he stopped 32 of 33 shots to earn his first NHL win.  An impressive win at that.  Varlamov made some dazzling saves that we have become use to in Hershey, some daring out of the net saves, and some all important stuffs at the sides of the net.  Varalmov shined.  Thanks to Tom Poti, who traded his stick with a fan for the puck at the end of regulation, Varalmov goes home with his first NHL debut in the past, his first NHL win in the books, and his game winning puck in his hand.
The game winner came on an incredible goal by Michael Nylander.  Nylander, as he fell in front of the net, swatted at the puck, that bounced off the Montreal goalie’s skate, and into the net to life that Capitals to a 2-1 lead, the eventual game winner.  The Caps first gaol came from Nicklas Backstrom on the power play, his tenth of the season.  This was a brutally hard hitting affair that saw some serious temper raised and a fast paced, high impact performance from both teams.  But the Caps walk out the winner, and Varlamov notches his first NHL win, one of many, many to come.
Multi-Point Scorers:
None
DCPSR Player of the Game:
Simeon Varalmov, stopped 32 of 33 to win his NHL debut in one of the most difficult atmospheres in hockey, Montreal.
Next Up:
TUE, DEC 16 @ New York Islanders
Notables:
*  Streaking — The Washington Capitals have won 3 straight.  They have also won 5 of their last 6 games.
*  The Capitals win tonight open up a 8 point lead over Carolina in the Southeast division.  Caps now have 39 points, Carolina Hurricanes have 31.
*  The Capitals are 7 points behind Boston for the best overall point in the Eastern Conference.