Home / News / Charlie Lindgren to start against Canadiens, Martin Fehervary returns to lineup after 12-game absence

Charlie Lindgren to start against Canadiens, Martin Fehervary returns to lineup after 12-game absence

By Chris Cerullo

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December 31, 2022 2:23 pm

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette spoke to the media before the Caps’ New Year’s Eve matinee against the Montreal Canadiens, Saturday.

The veteran bench boss announced that he would be switching things up in net and giving December hero Charlie Lindgren the start per The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir.

Lavy also shared the happy news that defenseman Martin Fehervary will make his return to the lineup after being absent for twelve games due to an upper-body injury.

Lindgren has been fantastic in the month of December for the Caps as the team’s number one starter, Darcy Kuemper, was out for most of it with an upper-body injury. In eight starts, the team’s backup had a 7-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

Lindgren was also honored as the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week ending on December 11. This will be Lindren’s first start since beating the Winnipeg Jets in Alex Ovechkin’s 802nd goal game two days before Christmas. Kuemper leaves the cage after a less-than-impressive performance against the Sens that saw him give up four goals on 45 shots.

Fehervary will jump back into the lineup after leaving a December 3 game against the Calgary Flames with an injury due to a Milan Lucic hit.

The team sent down defenseman Lucas Johansen last night to make room on their roster for Fehervary’s return from injured reserve. Fehervary skated on the Caps’ third defense pairing at Friday’s practice next to Matt Irwin.

Here is your reminder of exactly how exactly the team lined up at that practice via El-Bashir.

The only change from the team that took a disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, other than Fehervary’s inclusion, is that Dylan Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov have switched lines in the top six.

Kuznetsov is now centering Alex Ovechkin’s line after Strome had a very successful stint next to the Caps captain. In over 304 minutes with Ovi and Strome on the ice together at five-on-five, the Caps have owned 50.3-percent of the shot attempts, 54.7-percent of the expected goals, 52.8-percent of the scoring chances, and 55.8-percent of the high-danger chances.

Montreal will come into the action at the very bottom of the NHL’s Atlantic Division. They are losers of four in a row and eight of their last ten.

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB

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