The Washington Capitals are running it back against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
After downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 earlier this week, head coach Spencer Carbery is changing nothing with his lineup. No changes means Ilya Protas will get his second NHL game, and Charlie Lindgren remains out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Protas will stick on the team’s second line between his older brother, Aliaksei Protas, and Tom Wilson. With Lindgren still out, Mitch Gibson will serve as Logan Thompson’s backup again.
Capitals lineup for 4/11 game against Penguins
Protas recorded his first career point in Wednesday’s victory over the Maple Leafs, a secondary assist on Cole Hutson’s empty-net goal. He finished his NHL debut with 15:37 of total ice time, one assist, one shot block, and went 6-8 in the faceoff circle.
Lindgren has been out of the Capitals’ lineup since he allowed eight goals to the New York Rangers at the end of last week. The veteran backstop has skated with the club since then, but has not been cleared to return to game action.
Thompson will make his 57th start of the season in Pittsburgh. Against the Penguins in his career, he is 3-1-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
The Capitals desperately need two points to stay alive in their unlikely hunt for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are delivering them a good chance to do so by sitting out eight lineup regulars after they clinched second in the Metropolitan Division earlier this week.
