Hendrix Lapierre will return to game action for the Washington Capitals on Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 22-year-old center was healthy scratched by head coach Spencer Carbery for two games as part of a mental reset after Lapierre did not record a point through the season’s first seven games.
Lapierre drawing back into the fray means that Mike Sgarbossa will take his place in the press box. Sgarbossa went without a point in the two games he subbed in for Lapierre.
“Lapierre will go in for Sgarbossa,” Carbery said. “[I’m looking to see] speed, compete – go out and play. Not too concerned with anything structurally, just want him to go out there and work, [be] heavy on the puck, use his speed when he can, and give us good, reliable minutes.”
Washington’s only change from a skaters perspective will be re-adding Lapierre to the mix after they downed the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 on Thursday night. Neither Jakob Chychrun nor Matt Roy are ready to return on the backend from their injuries.
Jakub Vrana, who will play on one of Lapierre’s flanks, scored his second goal of the season in the win against Montreal. The tally was just the fourth scored by any of the five forwards that have made up the team’s third line this season. The other two goals belong to Andrew Mangiapane, and one of Mangiapane’s goals came shorthanded.
The line has been good from a process perspective with Lapierre down the middle, but they’ve had some tough puck luck, giving up five goals and scoring zero during those five-on-five minutes. Lapierre’s seven-game pointless streak is the longest of his career during an individual NHL season. He recorded 22 points (8g, 14a) in 51 games last year.
Washington’s only other lineup change will come in net as Logan Thompson will get his fifth start of the season. The 27-year-old backstop is 4-0 in his previous four starts with a 3.21 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage. He has had a tough time against Columbus in the past, going 1-1 with a 3.46 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage in three career appearances.
Columbus enters the game after falling 6-2 to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The Blue Jackets are 5-4-1 to start the year and have recent wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders.
