Varlamov, Caps thriving in quest for Stanley Cup
His coach does not speak to him other than to say “Good morning.” His superstar teammate is doing everything in his power to shield the 21-year-old goalie from the spotlight.
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Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and star forward Alex Ovechkin are just trying to protect rookie Simeon Varlamov. The glare of a Stanley Cup playoff series can play tricks on the mind of even an established netminder — let alone a postseason newbie far from home.
But like a teenager shrugging off overprotective parents, Varlamov has shown an innate ability to handle the pressure of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Thanks in part to the young Russian — who just three years ago was playing junior hockey back home — the Caps lead 2-0 entering Wednesday night’s pivotal Game 3 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.
Prior to Tuesday night’s playoff games, Varlamov was tied with Boston’s Tim Thomas for lowest goals-against average (1.51) in the postseason. He also has a .945 save percentage — second only to Anaheim’s Jonas Hiller. Varlamov has two shutouts in eight playoff starts — which is three more starts than he had during the entire regular season. He played primarily at AHL affiliate Hershey during the season, missing a month with a knee injury, and appeared in six games with Washington.
“The most important thing is not to get frustrated [after allowing a goal],” Varlamov said about his mindset during Monday’s 4-3 win. “Of course, you want to get every puck. But you don’t always get the chance to do that.”
Maybe that ability to handle the spotlight — and rebound from setbacks, like a flubbed catch on Pittsburgh defenseman Mark Eaton’s goal in Game 1 — shouldn’t come as a surprise. Varlamov played two full seasons for Yaroslavl in what is now called the KHL — the top pro hockey league in Russia. Just a few months after the Caps made him the 23rd overall pick in the 2006 draft, Varlamov made his pro debut at 18. He had a nice rookie season (2.12 goals-against average, three shutouts in 31 games) and was just as good last year (2.45 goals-against average, three shutouts). But he really shined in the playoffs, leading Yaroslavl to the league championship series with five shutouts in 16 playoff games.
For his part, Ovechkin won’t talk about his countryman. He declined to answer questions about Varlamov when asked by a VERSUS reporter after Monday’s game and again in the postgame news conference. But it’s not because he isn’t proud. Ovechkin just doesn’t want the constant attention — from fans, media and the Penguins — to finally crack his teammate. That doesn’t appear to be a problem.
