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  6. article_body => "<p>&nbsp;ARLINGTON \u2013 The Capitals have recalled top goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov from AHL Hershey to join the Stanley Cup playoff roster.<br>&nbsp;<br>There are no&nbsp;known injuries to Capitals goalies Braden Holtby or Pheonix Copley and both were on the ice at practice&nbsp;Wednesday. Samsonov is expected to serve as the third goalie, according to the Capitals. Washington begins its Stanley Cup defense with Game 1 of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/stanley-cup-playoffs-2019-ultimate-capitals-hurricanes-series-preview\">first-round series on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Hershey has clinched an AHL playoff spot and has three games this weekend to end the regular season before the Calder Cup playoffs begin. Last year, the Capitals did use Copley as a third goalie, but he was never active and Hershey had missed the postseason. That\u2019s not the case this time. It's possible he could return to the team after the first two games of the Carolina series and still participate in the AHL playoffs.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>Samsonov, 22, has played 36 games for the Bears this season, his first in North America, and briefly was recalled to serve as Copley\u2019s backup with the Caps when Holtby was out for a Nov. 17 game against Colorado.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>It hasn\u2019t been an easy season overall for Samsonov. He has a .896 save percentage in 2,142 minutes and teammate Vitek Vanecek has also appeared in 36 games and made the AHL All-Star team. Vanacek has a .906 save percentage in 2,100 minutes. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br>The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Samsonov was Washington\u2019s first-round draft pick in 2015, No. 22 overall.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MORE CAPITALS NEWS:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Never Easy:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/why-are-stanley-cup-playoffs-so-much-different-regular-season\">Why&nbsp;Stanley Cup Playoffs are so much different than&nbsp;regular season<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Washed Up No Longer:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/remember-when-alex-ovechkin-was-washed-how-caps-star-silenced-doubters\">How Ovi&nbsp;silenced the doubters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Mailbag:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/capitals-mailbag-what-expect-washingtons-first-postseason-defending-champs\">What to expect as Caps defend their Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div class=\"video-filter art19-player-iframe\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/4240acad-ca2e-4317-920c-3c7fa6f83f2a\/episodes\/014b7735-de54-4e8f-a7dc-17a55e3d6ad7\/embed?theme=light-blue\" width=\"100%\" height=\"250px\" class=\"video-filter video-art19 vf-4240acadca2e4317920c3c7fa6f83f2a vf-014b7735de544e8fa7dc17a55e3d6ad7embed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Art19 Player\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n"
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Capitals

Capitals

 ARLINGTON – The Capitals have recalled top goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov from AHL Hershey to join the Stanley Cup playoff roster.
 
There are no known injuries to Capitals goalies Braden Holtby or Pheonix Copley and both were on the ice at practice Wednesday. Samsonov is expected to serve as the third goalie, according to the Capitals. Washington begins its Stanley Cup defense with Game 1 of a first-round series on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. 
 
Hershey has clinched an AHL playoff spot and has three games this weekend to end the regular season before the Calder Cup playoffs begin. Last year, the Capitals did use Copley as a third goalie, but he was never active and Hershey had missed the postseason. That’s not the case this time. It's possible he could return to the team after the first two games of the Carolina series and still participate in the AHL playoffs. 
 
Samsonov, 22, has played 36 games for the Bears this season, his first in North America, and briefly was recalled to serve as Copley’s backup with the Caps when Holtby was out for a Nov. 17 game against Colorado. 
 
It hasn’t been an easy season overall for Samsonov. He has a .896 save percentage in 2,142 minutes and teammate Vitek Vanecek has also appeared in 36 games and made the AHL All-Star team. Vanacek has a .906 save percentage in 2,100 minutes.   
 
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Samsonov was Washington’s first-round draft pick in 2015, No. 22 overall. 

 

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