The way goalie Simeon Varlamov performed in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Washington Capitals, it's generally assumed he'll be the team's No. 1 goalie next season.
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Then again, maybe not.
Michal Neuvirth is playing his way into contention.
The Hershey Bears' 21-year-old rookie turned in his fourth shutout of the Calder Cup playoffs Saturday night, leading the Bears to a 3-0 victory over the Manitoba Moose in Game 3 of the finals series at Giant Center.
The win gives Hershey a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 at 5 p.m. today in Hershey.
Neuvirth made 28 saves in blanking the Moose and ran his playoff record to 14-5. He lowered his playoff goals against average to 2.00 and upped his save percentage to .929.
All of those numbers are exceptional, and four shutouts are almost unheard of. He had only one during the regular season.
"He's given us a chance to win every game, and that's all you can ask out of a guy,'' Bears winger Graham Mink said.
"He makes all the stops he should make and some of the ones he shouldn't.''
Neuvirth is expected to be in the mix in Washington next fall, along with Varlamov and Jose Theodore. He is just two wins shy of showing up at training camp with a Calder Cup championship ring.
"I definitely want to make the NHL,'' Neuvirth said Saturday night. "We'll see what happens in training camp.
"But I want to win a Calder Cup with Hershey right now. That's my goal.''
"As young as he is, I think he's got a very promising future ahead of him,'' Mink said. "It's a good situation to be in if you're the Washington Capitals organization.''
Mink, Alexandre Giroux (both on the power play) and Quintin Laing (shorthanded, empty net) scored for the Bears, who were outshot 28-24 but played well defensively in front of Neuvirth.
Hershey went 2-for-3 on the power play and killed off all five of the Moose's power play chances.
"We talked before the game, special teams would be the difference. Tonight they were,'' Bears coach Bob Woods said.
Hershey started fast, firing the first six shots on goal. The sixth shot struck paydirt.
Eight seconds after Manitoba's Shaun Heshka was sent off for slashing, Bears defenseman Staffan Kronwall took a shot from the point that Mink deflected past Moose goalie Cory Schneider for a 1-0 lead at 6:22.
It stayed that way into the second period, where the Bears' sloppiness nearly cost them.
With Giroux and Chris Bourque both in the penalty box for slashing, the Moose had a 50-second 5-on-3 power play advantage.
Neuvirth was sharp, however, stopping Jason Jaffray and Michael Grabner, two of Manitoba's top offensive players, to lead the penalty kill.
"Killing that off was huge for us,'' Woods said.
Shortly after the Bears killed it off, Manitoba's Zack FitzGerald was penalized for roughing, and Hershey's power played clicked again.
Keith Aucoin set up Giroux at the right circle — his favorite spot — and Giroux beat Schneider over his left shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 9:38. He now has a point in 10 straight playoff games.
Before the second period was out, Neuvirth made great saves on Jaffrey again and Mario Bliznak, and he got lucky when Matt Pope hit the post on a Moose power play.
Neuvirth also made another excellent save on Bliznak in the first minute of the third period.
"He's dialed in,'' Woods said. "When you shut out a team like Manitoba ... He's playing with a lot of confidence.''
Laing's shorthanded, empty-netter with 44 seconds left capped the scoring and sent an electric sellout crowd of 10,696 home happy.
"My ears are still ringing,'' Woods said.
In Calder Cup finals history, when a series is tied at 1-1, the Game 3 winner has eventually captured the championship on 22 of 31 previous occasions (71.0 percent).
If Hershey wins tonight, it can capture the Cup in Game 5 on Tuesday in Giant Center.
Notes: Kronwall had two assists for the Bears. ... Hershey is now 8-1 at home in the playoffs. ... Giroux, the AHL MVP during the regular season, has 14 goals in the playoffs and 74 including the regular season. ... All four of Neuvirth's playoff shutouts have come at the Giant Center.
Defenseman Karl Alzner, sidelined since Game 4 of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton series with a concussion, returned to the Bears' lineup. He missed eight games. ... Washington Capitals GM George McPhee and coach Bruce Boudreau attended the game.
Manitoba is the farm team of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. ... Game 4 today is a sellout. Tickets remain for Game 5 Tuesday night.
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