Varlamov shines for Capitals in NHL debut

Simeon Varlamov stopped 32 shots in his National Hockey League debut to help the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Saturday night.

Varlamov, who joined the Capitals on Friday night during a 5-1 home win over Ottawa, was named the game’s first star for his efforts. He was recalled from the Hershey Bears, where he is 10-3-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average in 13 AHL appearances.

"He won the game for us tonight," said Alexander Ovechkin, who got his 40th point with an assist.

Varlamov’s efforts were seen nationally on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and on the NHL Network in the United States.

Ben Maxwell also made his NHL debut in the game for Montreal, recalled from Hamilton on Friday.