Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette announced that Darcy Kuemper will start against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night in his pregame hit with the media.
The start will be Kuemper’s second in consecutive nights. Darcy took the L in the Capitals’ 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
The news was reported by The Washington Post’s Roman Stubbs.
Darcy Kuemper will start tonight in Tampa, per Laviolette.
— Roman Stubbs (@romanstubbs) March 30, 2023
The aggressive pick in net comes as the Capitals have 0.2 percent of a chance to make the postseason.
This will be the second time in a month Laviolette has turned to Kuemper to play both games of a back-to-back. The last time he did so, Kuemper gave up five goals in less than two periods of play to the Buffalo Sabres, smashing his stick on the goal post and chucking his mask down the tunnel after being pulled. The Capitals would go on to lose 7-4 in the game.
Charlie Lindgren has not played since giving up seven goals to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets on March 21. The Caps lost 7-6 in overtime.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
