Washington Capitals send Semyon Varlamov down to the minors
There has been a changing of the guard in the Washington Capitals’ net recently. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov, once touted as the Caps’ goalie of the future, has been sent down to the Hershey
Bears of the American Hockey League.
Varlamov was drafted 23rd overall by Washington at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Since joining the team as a rookie in the 2008-09 season, Varlamov has enthralled the Capitals’ fan base with
his spectacular saves.
He made his NHL debut on 13 December, 2008 in a road game against the Montreal Canadiens, a game which the Capitals won by a score of 2-1. The native of Samara, Russia, would go on to
win his home-ice debut on 18 December 2008, posting another win as the Caps handed the St. Louis Blues a 4-2 loss.
During the 2009 playoffs, Varlamov continued his stellar play, making save after save to lead the Capitals to numerous victories. He was officially anointed as the team’s starting goalie
after the departure of former starter Jose Theodore after the 2009-10 season.
Varlamov has only made two appearances this season, and has posted a record of 0-1-0, along with a 2.91 goals-against average and a save percentage of .896. Back-up netminder Michal Neuvirth
has since assumed the starting duties for the Capitals, relegating Varlamov to the bench.
In 32 career games in the NHL, Varlamov has posted a record of 19-4-7 with a goals-against average of 2.52 and a .911 save percentage.
The Capitals are coming off of a 5-3 road win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday, 9 November. They are currently in first place in the Southeast Division with an impressive record of
11-4-0 and 22 points. They will play their next game on Thursday, 11 November, when then host the Tampa Bay Lightning. The game is scheduled to begin at 19:00.
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