Capitals Recall Goaltender Fucale Prior To Tilt With Penguins

The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Zach Fucale from the AHL’s Hershey Bears prior to Friday’s showdown against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Per the team, it is a precautionary measure as Washington plays back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, facing Pittsburgh at home and then Buffalo on the road.

Fucale made his long-awaited NHL debut back on Nov. 11, impressing by stopping all 21 shots against. He is the first netminder in Capitals franchise history to record a shutout in his first career start.

The 26-year-old has an impressive resume that includes over eight years of experience at the AHL level. This season, he is 4-1-2 with a .898 save percentage and 2.63 GAA. Last season, Fucale led the AHL in GAA (1.80) and ranked second league-wide in save percentage (.932).

READ MORE ON WHN: Capitals Hold Wild Celebration For Fucale After Historic Debut

It’s unclear what the reason for the call-up is. Both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek were on the ice for practice on Thursday. Washington’s morning skate is at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

The Capitals are currently dealing with a mix of injuries and COVID-19 issues, with Nic Dowd, Garnet Hathaway and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the COVID protocol. Carl Hagelin missed Thursday’s skate with an illness but tested negative for coronavirus.