The Washington Capitals got right back on the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday after flying back home from a blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The team held an optional skate before they’re set for a crucial set of back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was one of the players in attendance but was forced to leave early after appearing to tweak something. The 33-year-old netminder made a 14-minute relief appearance against the Sabres on Tuesday night after Charlie Lindgren gave up six goals on 31 shots.
NBC4 Sports got video of Kuemper wincing in pain before leaving the ice. Kuemper appears to be stretching out his back.
Kuemper made just two appearances in the entire month of March and gave up 11 goals on 59 shots across those two starts. The veteran backstop has seen his starter job taken by Lindgren as the Capitals try to scratch and claw for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
In 32 total appearances this season, Kuemper has amassed a 13-13-3 record with a 3.32 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. Both of those latter marks would be career worsts.
“Don’t have an update yet, I’ll find out shortly,” head coach Spencer Carbery said post-practice.
Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Kuemper told reporters that he thinks he’ll be fine moving forward but his status is one to keep an eye on given the team’s three games in four days this week. Kuemper is expected to get the starter’s nod for either the game against Pittsburgh on Thursday night or against Carolina on Friday night.
If the Capitals do need to make an emergency recall of a goaltender from the Hershey Bears before then, they’ll have to do it soon as the Bears are headed out on a two-game road trip to Iowa to play the Wild on Friday and Saturday. Both Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard are healthy for Hershey.
Stevenson is still awaiting his first career NHL start. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan brought Stevenson’s name up in early March as one of the organization’s prospects that the Capitals wanted to potentially get a look at during the final stretch of the season.
Hershey clinched the Atlantic Division title on Tuesday night. They’ll have a first-round playoff bye after they wrap up the last seven games remaining on their schedule.
