Latest Injury Updates for Hurricanes vs. Capitals
T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas both out tonight for Caps.
The Washington Capitals held an optional skate ahead of their big Friday night tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes and former Capital and forever Stanley Cup hero Evgeny Kuznetsov.
While we await the results of Tom Wilson and the outcome of his disciplinary hearing, we figure he's out tonight. Spencer Carbery confirmed to media that T.J. Oshie, who has an uppper body injury, and Aliaksei Protas, lower body injury, are both out tonight. The Capitals called up Matthew Phillips from Hershey ahead of morning skate.
In other pregame news it appears that Darcy Kuemper will get the start in goal.
Carbery on starting Kuemper vs. CAR: “Just based on the fact Chucky has played a lot of hockey over the last stretch and didn’t have his best the other night. Give him a breather and give Darce an opportunity in a huge hockey game to help the group out.” #ALLCAPS
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) March 22, 2024
Kuemper enters tonight's game with a 13-13-3 record with a 3.29 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. Charlie Lindgren deserves a night of rest especially after allowing seven goals to the Maple Leafs the other night and nearly having Auston Matthews get a hat trick on him.
Although Kuemper's record doesn't look promsing, he did win two of his last three games. He stoped 18 of 21 shots in a win over Ottawa on home ice and 28 of 31 in a win at Montreal on Feb. 17 which helped spark the Caps turnaround. Feb. 26 was the home game against Ottawa.
Kuemper's last start came in a 7-2 setback to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Yes Kuemper allowed all seven of those goals. He stopped 30 of 37 that game.
Carbery also answered why he called up Matthew Phillips from the Bears
Carbery on picking Phillips for a recall: “At this juncture of the year and the magnitude of the next few games…we prioritized someone that had been a part of the group, knows the system inside and out and can make it as seamless as possible.” #ALLCAPS
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) March 22, 2024
Phillips had a good enough preseason to impress Caps brass into drawing him into the opening night roster. He went from the Caps, to the Penguins minor leagues, back to the Caps all through the lovely road of the waiver wire.
You can catch tonight's game at 7 p.m. on Monumental Sports Network locally or nationally on NHL Network.
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