The Washington Capitals have traveled out west for three straight games against California-based teams. They’ll start by visiting the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Nic Dowd, who has missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury, will not play against his former team. Head coach Spencer Carbery shared the latest on the veteran center after the team’s morning skate ahead of the matchup.
“I don’t [have an update],” Carbery said. “He’s been skating, so that’s a positive sign, but I don’t have any timeline.”
In the seven games that the Capitals have played without Dowd and Pierre-Luc Dubois down the middle, the team has leaned on Dylan Strome and a trio of young centers, Connor McMichael, Justin Sourdif, and Hendrix Lapierre, to carry the load. The Caps have excelled in those games, going 6-1 and reclaiming a spot in the top three of the Metropolitan Division standings.
Carbery did not reveal any lineup changes for the game against the Kings. The Capitals beat LA 2-1 on home ice last month, getting goals from former Kings defenseman Matt Roy and captain Alex Ovechkin.
Projected Capitals lineup for 12/2 game against Kings
Logan Thompson is set to get the first start in California, with Charlie Lindgren likely playing the San Jose Sharks in the back half of a back-to-back on Wednesday night. Thompson was brilliant in his last start against the New York Islanders, making 30 saves on 31 shots in a 4-1 win.
Lindgren started the November game against the Kings, so this will be Thompson’s first matchup with LA this season. In his career against the Kings, Thompson is 5-2-0 with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
The Kings currently sit second in the Pacific Division with a 12-6-7 record. In their last game, they beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in overtime on Saturday.
