In the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Washington Capitals turned to a goaltender with no prior postseason experience as they looked to save their season. Starting in place of veteran Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov came up strong in Game 2 and took the job.
This year, the Capitals have also used one playoff debutant and one league veteran in the crease. In 2021, the move has come out of necessity as Vitek Vanecek, who guided Washington through the bulk of the regular season, went down with an injury after only 13 minutes of postseason play.