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Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov day to day, ECHL goalie Todd Ford gets call to back up Neuvirth

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Having depth can be a blessing when you’re contending for a Stanley Cup. The kind of depth the Capitals are relying on tonight to back up starting goalie Michal Neuvirth is getting a bit silly though.

ECHL goalie Todd Ford, who you may have seen on waivers yesterday and cleared today, was signed to an NHL contract and will be backing up Neuvirth for the time being thanks to Semyon Varlamov being out day-to-day after leaving practice earlier than expected this morning.

If you’re wondering where usual AHL call-up Braden Holtby is, he too is injured and unable to get the call back to Washington, as is their other NHL-experienced veteran former Penguins and Bruins goalie Dany Sabourin. As long as Neuvirth stays healthy, the Caps don’t have a problem. If anything happens with him, though, look out.

If you’re not familiar with Todd Ford, we don’t fault you for that. What you may know him for is for being the guy who’s got a tremendous ode to Johnny Cash on his goalie mask. Should Ford be forced into any action we’ll be forced to keep the tune of “Ring Of Fire” running through our heads as a guy who is essentially Washington’s fifth option in goal being thrown to the wolves in the NHL can’t bode to well for the success of the Caps or for Ford’s own ego.

Ford’s numbers while briefly in the AHL this year aren’t too hot (11 games, 3.14 goals against average, .879 save percentage) so if he sees any game action in the NHL it’s an even more desperate or dire situation than imagined.