The Washington Capitals were successful in their road matchup against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday but head coach Spencer Carbery isn’t sending the same lineup out against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
Instead, rookie forward Hendrix Lapierre will get a sweater after he sat out healthy against the Kings. Lapierre will jump back into the lineup while winger Matthew Phillips will come out.
Carbery announced the changes in his pregame media availability.
Lapierre last played in the team’s 2-1 loss in San Jose on Monday. In that game, he centered a line with Sonny Milano and Aliaksei Protas as the wingers. They did not have a successful night creating offense as the Capitals did not record a high-danger chance at five-on-five with them on the ice.
Given Connor McMichael’s success down the middle in LA, it’s likely Lapierre will jump into this game on the wing in place of Phillips. Carbery spoke about the possibility of having him do that before this five-game road trip started.
“We could move Lappy to the wing,” Carbery said. “He played it in junior. I’ve talked to him about potentially moving to the wing at some point to be able to get him in the lineup.”
Lapierre has three points (1g, 2a) in seven games this season. All three of those points came in November 18’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Phillips comes out of the lineup after skating 12:07 of ice time against the Kings. The speedy winger does not have a point since November 11 against the New York Islanders, his only point in eight November games.
The only other lineup change should come in goal as Lindgren started last night and the Capitals are facing the second half of a back-to-back. Darcy Kuemper started against the Sharks and made 21 stops in that loss.
Anaheim is the coldest team in the entire league. They have lost seven games in a row, last playing on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
