According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, 2015 first-round pick Ilya Samsonov has been summoned from Hershey and will join the Capitals in Denver. The Capitals face off against the Colorado Avalanche Friday at Pepsi Center – their third game in four nights.

A third goaltender is needed due to a surprise upper-body injury Braden Holtby suffered Wednesday in Winnipeg. Holtby’s inability to play or even back up forced the Capitals to sign emergency goaltender Gavin McHale for the evening.

Hearing Ilya Samsonov is on the way to Denver. Probably means Holtby won’t dress tomorrow and Copley will start a third straight game. Could just be a precautionary move, too.

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) November 16, 2018

The 21-year-old Samsonov is 3-5 with a 3.73 goals against average and a .875 save percentage in his first season in the AHL. The young Russian’s numbers reflect Hershey’s sluggish start to the season, where the young team under a new coach lost 7 of their first 9 games.

Since then, the Bears have righted the ship, going 6-3-0-1 in their last ten games. Samsonov has won 3 of his last 5 starts.

Bears veterans have been impressed by Samsonov’s confidence and poise since joining the organization.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong