COVID benches group Of Capitals

Washington Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov has tested positive for COVID-19, two people with knowledge with the situation said Thursday. The team received news of Samsonov’s positive test Tuesday after a loss to Pittsburgh. Four Capitals players — Samsonov, Alex Ovechkin, pictured, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov — were placed on the NHL’S COVID-19 protocol-related absences list Wednesday after the positive test. Contact tracing revealed the quartet hung out multiple times together in a Pittsburgh hotel room during their road trip. Ovechkin, Orlov and Kuznetsov are expected to miss at least four games because of quarantine protocols. If Samsonov remains asymptomatic, he can return 10 days after his first positive test. If he develops symptoms, he can be cleared 10 days after the symptoms appeared and at least 24 hours have passed since his last fever. He can be cleared if he tests negative twice and his condition improves.