The Washington Capitals are at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome and on Monday there was a teeny tiny change with the lines.
Todd Reirden has returned Michal Kempny to the first defensive pairing with John Carlson – the NHL’s second star of the week.
Via John Walton, here are the lines.
Ovechkin – Backstrom – Oshie
Hagelin – Kuznetsov – Wilson
Vrana – Eller – Hathaway
Leipsic – Dowd – Stephenson
Kempny – Carlson
Orlov – Jensen
Siegenthaler – Gudas
Kempny was reunited with Carlson during the Blackhawks game, spending 8:48 with the early-season Norris candidate. Reirden made sure to clarify that this was not a demotion for Jonas Siegenthaler.
Caps lines at practice in Calgary: 8-19-77, 62-92-43, 13-20-21, 28-26-18, 6-74 (reunited!) 9-3, 34-33.
— John Walton (@WaltonCaps) October 21, 2019
“Obviously, some of the success John has had, goes back to Jonas,” Reirden said. “He’s done a really good job in an elevated role early in his career. He’s been exceptional. It’s nice to see number six back there skating, defending, and battling and competing and doing all the things he does so well. That just makes our group of six that much better.”
Kempny has two points, a goal and an assist, in two games this season. Kempny missed the first eight games of the season to rehab a left hamstring injury suffered last March.
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
