‘Opportunity knocks’ and Craig Anderson answers to help lift Capitals past Bruins in Game 1
Craig Anderson #CraigAnderson
As goaltender Vitek Vanecek struggled to his feet after suffering a lower-body injury early in Game 1 of Washington’s first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins, the Capitals’ situation in net — already considered a glaring weakness entering the postseason — grew dire.
Washington did not have the luxury of turning to Ilya Samsonov, who came off the NHL’s covid-19 list but did not dress for Game 1. And so as Vanecek gingerly skated off the ice and into the locker room for the rest of the night, he tapped sticks near the bench with his replacement, 39-year-old Craig Anderson, who had made just four appearances all season.
Anderson stopped Boston’s first two shots of overtime, and after Washington’s Nic Dowd tipped in the game-winning goal to give the Capitals a 1-0 series lead with a 3-2 victory, Anderson was the last player to skate over to join the celebratory scrum. He took a knee by the bench and waited as the officials reviewed the goal, not knowing if he needed to do more in one of the most unexpected wins of his long career.
“At the end of the day, we are here in this moment and this is what we play for,” said Anderson, who finished with 21 saves. “It is a great opportunity.”
Even as Anderson was buoyed by his defense and turned in a respectable performance, keeping the Capitals afloat in a hard-fought win, that he was even thrust into the position only magnified the questions surrounding Washington’s goaltenders.
“It’s a tough spot to put somebody in, but [Anderson] has answered the bell really his whole career, but he’s answered it for us when we’ve needed him,” Washington Coach Peter Laviolette said.
Vanecek, who was making his playoff debut after posting a 21-10-4 record and a 2.69 goals against average during the regular season, was injured after trying to stop a goal by Boston’s Jake DeBrusk that tied the game at 1 with 6:50 remaining in the first period. Shortly after, the team announced Vanecek would miss the rest of the night with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Pheonix Copley — who had played all season with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey, Pa. — was named the emergency backup behind Anderson.
It remains unclear when Samsonov, who started 18 games during the regular season, might be available for the playoffs. Both Samsonov and Washington forward Evgeny Kuznetsov were placed on the covid-19 list May 4. According to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, one of the players tested positive and one was deemed a close contact. The person did not distinguish which player tested positive, though Kuznetsov remains on the list. The team has not indicated when either player is expected to return.
“There’s a lot of confidence in all of our goalies,” Laviolette said. “You’d like to be healthy, you’d like to have everyone available, but this is what we’re dealt. But I can tell you there’s a lot of confidence in Anderson.”
Anderson, who turns 40 later this month, found his footing after a wobbly first period — he endured an awkward moment late in the first period after being bumped by teammate Zdeno Chara and falling back into the net, knocking the goal off its moorings — and he stopped the first ten shots he faced as Washington built a 2-1 lead in the second period. He had been in these kind of moments plenty over his career, posting 46 playoff appearances, though his last came as Ottawa’s goaltender during the 2016-17 season.
After Boston went on the power play following a Dmitry Orlov high-sticking penalty, Anderson gave up the equalizer late in the second period after Boston’s Nick Ritchie deflected a shot from David Pastrnak. Washington’s defense remained steady in front of Anderson as the game wore on, and Anderson helped Washington force overtime as he stopped all eight shots he faced during a contentious third period.
“Opportunity knocks, you make the most of your opportunity. I’ve been here before, so I can share my experiences with Vitek and [Samsonov],” Anderson said. “To now get the opportunity to live what I’ve been telling them, it’s a great feeling to be involved.”