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Capitals Game Day

Capitals Game Day: Kuemper Debuts, Ovechkin, Regulars In vs. Red Wings

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Washington Capitals Darcy Kuemper

The Washington Capitals will see their NHL regulars start to draw into the lineup, as Friday will mark Darcy Kuemper’s first game with the Capitals between the pipes and also see Alex Ovechkin and more make their 2022 preseason debuts against the Detroit Red Wings.

Washington is on a back-to-back road trip this weekend. The team clashes with Detroit on Friday before facing the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The Capitals brought the entire NHL Group A, and they will draw in on Friday and Saturday.

Here is Friday’s roster. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET at Little Caesar’s Arena.

Forwards: Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Borgstrom, Dylan Strome, Lars Eller, Garnet Hathaway, Hendrix Lapierre, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Beck Malenstyn, Brett Leason, Aliaksei Protas, T.J. Oshie, Joe Snively, Evgeny Kuznetsov

Defensemen: Nick Jensen, Vincent Iorio, Martin Fehervary, Lucas Johansen, Erik Gustafsson, John Carlson, Bobby Nardella

Goaltenders: Darcy Kuemper, Charlie Lindgren

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There will likely be a couple of scratches, given there are 13 forwards and seven defensemen listed. It is unclear whether or not Kuemper and Lindgren will split the game. Lindgren was a perfect 13-for-13 through two periods in Wednesday’s Capitals win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Some important notes:

  • Aliaksei Protas and Joe Snively will have now appeared in all three preseason games so far if they do dress.
  • Bobby Nardella is coming off a strong performance in Philly that saw him dish two assists, while Vincent Iorio recorded his first NHL preseason point on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.
  • Players to watch: Ovechkin, who is back in game action and has been having a dominant camp so far, and Dylan Strome, who has been making the most of his opportunities and is the frontrunner for the open second-line center job. He had two goals against the Flyers on Wednesday.
  • Connor Brown is not listed for the first game, nor is Anthony Mantha, Connor McMichael or others. The NHL regulars are likely splitting these two games, and they should be in the lineup against Columbus on Saturday.