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Darcy Kuemper will start Friday vs. Minnesota.

Kuemper will be the starter for the Capitals on Friday after watching Hunter Shepard lead them to a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils in his first career NHL game. Kuemper, and the Capitals as a whole, have struggled immensely to start the season. Kuemper's 3.67 GAA and .868 SV% through four games (1-2-1) pale in comparison to the 2.56 GAA and .916 SV% he has amassed over his 360-game career (166-123-44) and is a clear indication this Capitals team is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Despite being -125 home favourites, Kuemper and the Capitals will be challenged against the Minnesota Wild and their fifth-ranked offence (3.86 GF / GP).

Darcy Kuemper
Darcy Kuemper was in the starter's crease at Friday's morning skate.

Kuemper will likely be the starter for the Capitals on Friday after watching Hunter Shepard lead them to a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils in his first career NHL game. Kuemper, and the Capitals as a whole, have struggled immensely to start the season. Kuemper's 3.67 GAA and .868 SV% through four games (1-2-1) pale in comparison to the 2.56 GAA and .916 SV% he has amassed over his 360-game career (166-123-44) and is a clear indication this Capitals team is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Despite being -125 home favourites, Kuemper and the Capitals will be challenged against the Minnesota Wild and their fifth-ranked offence (3.86 GF / GP).

Darcy Kuemper
Scott Perunovich will draw into the Blues' lineup for the first time this season on Thursday vs. Calgary.

St. Louis has decided to go with the unconventional 11 forwards, seven defensemen approach which had led to Scott Perunovich getting his first appearance of the season in the Blues' lineup. The 25-year-old last appeared in the NHL as a rookie in 2021-22 and had six assists, 14 SOG, eight PIMs and a +2 plus/minus in 19 games. He takes the place of Tyler Tucker in the Blues' lineup Thursday.

Scott Perunovich
Forsberg will start Tuesday's game against the Sabres.

In game six of the season for the Ottawa Senators, Forsberg will start for the third time. In two games (2-0-0), Forsberg has registered a 1.50 GAA and .933 SV%, clearly outperforming his counterpart, Joonas Korpisalo, thus far. Forsberg will hope to further cement himself as the early-season favourite in net for the Senators as they face off against a Buffalo Sabres team that suffered a 3-1 loss last night and is averaging only 2.17 goals scored per game. The Senators are listed as -179 home favourites tonight.

Anton Forsberg
Erik Haula (upper body) will return to the Devils' lineup Tuesday vs. Montreal.

Haula missed the Devils' previous game with an upper-body injury but will return to the lineup Tuesday as they take on Montreal. The 32-year-old was having a great start to 2023-24, with two goals, an assist, nine SOG, four PIMs, and a +1 plus/minus in three games played. He is expected to return to his third-line centre role as he renters the Devils' lineup.

Erik Haula
Anton Forsberg was in the starters' crease at Tuesday's morning skate.

In game six of the season for the Ottawa Senators, Forsberg will start for the third time. In two games (2-0-0), Forsberg has registered a 1.50 GAA and .933 SV%, clearly outperforming his counterpart, Joonas Korpisalo, thus far. Forsberg will hope to further cement himself as the early-season favourite in net for the Senators as they face off against a Buffalo Sabres team that suffered a 3-1 loss last night and is averaging only 2.17 goals scored per game. The Senators are listed as -179 home favourites tonight.

Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper will start Tuesday vs. Toronto.

Kuemper will start on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs and hope to improve on his lacklustre start to the season. The Capitals have been very poor in general (1-2-1), receiving minimal goal support (1.25 GF/GP), paralleled by Kuemper's less-than-ideal 3.56 GAA and .887 SV%. The Maple Leafs have had their struggles as well (3-2-0), but scoring goals has not been one of them, as they enter Tuesday averaging 3.80 goals per game. Kuemper and the Capitals are +154 home underdogs against the Maple Leafs.

Darcy Kuemper
Jan Jenik has been recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).

Jenik has already played two games for the Coyotes this season, going without a point and registering four hits and four penalty minutes. Jenik and Zach Sanford, who were both called up on Monday, are both candidates to cycle in and out of the lineup as Jason Zucker will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Jan Jenik
Darcy Kuemper will start Saturday vs. Montreal.

Kuemper allowed six goals on 29 shots (.793 SV%) in a loss to Ottawa in his previous start but is the expected starter Saturday vs. Montreal. The 33-year-old missed some time prior to the Capitals' previous game due to the birth of his child but has a 1-1-0 record, .884 SV% and 3.84 GAA so far in 2023-24. He takes on the 1-1-1 Montreal Canadiens, who are 13th in the NHL in goals for (3.33) and 21st in shots per game (29.7).

Darcy Kuemper
Darcy Kuemper is the expected starter Saturday vs. Montreal.

Kuemper allowed six goals on 29 shots (.793 SV%) in a loss to Ottawa in his previous start but is the expected starter Saturday vs. Montreal. The 33-year-old missed some time prior to the Capitals' previous game due to the birth of his child but has a 1-1-0 record, .884 SV% and 3.84 GAA so far in 2023-24. He takes on the 1-1-1 Montreal Canadiens, who are 13th in the NHL in goals for (3.33) and 21st in shots per game (29.7).

Darcy Kuemper
Kuemper will start in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Kuemper made his season debut in Monday’s game against the Flames after missing the Capitals’ season opener due to the birth of his son. The 33-year-old netminder kicked off his season with an impressive 3-2 shootout victory over Calgary, stopping 38 of the 40 shots he faced in the process. Kuemper will be hoping to build off that momentum heading into Wednesday night’s clash with the Senators in Ottawa, where he and the Capitals are sizable underdogs at +150. Kuemper recorded a 22-26-7 record in 57 appearances with the Capitals last season to go along with a .908 SV% and a 2.87 GAA.

Darcy Kuemper
Forsberg will start Wednesday's game against the Capitals.

The Senators have an early-season goalie rotation in effect as Forsberg will get the start for the second time in four games. In his first start of the season, Forsberg wasn't heavily tested but managed to save 19 of 21 shots, aiding the Senators to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Senators can continue getting strong performances from both netminders, they will likely continue to rotate starts to keep them both fresh. The Senators are -170 home favourites tonight against a Washington Capitals team that has only scored twice in their first two games (1-1-0). A season ago, Forsberg shut the door in his only matchup against the Capitals, saving 22 of 24 shots in a 5-2 victory.

Anton Forsberg
Anton Forsberg was in the starters' crease at Wednesday's morning skate.

The Senators have an early-season goalie rotation in effect as Forsberg will likely get the start for the second time in four games. In his first start of the season, Forsberg wasn't heavily tested but managed to save 19 of 21 shots, aiding the Senators to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Senators can continue getting strong performances from both netminders, they will likely continue to rotate starts to keep them both fresh. The Senators are -170 home favourites tonight against a Washington Capitals team that has only scored twice in their first two games (1-1-0). A season ago, Forsberg shut the door in his only matchup against the Capitals, saving 22 of 24 shots in a 5-2 victory.

Anton Forsberg
Erik Haula is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Haula is day-to-day and his status remains unclear for the Devils' next game on Friday against the New York Islanders. So far this season, Haula has primarily centred a third line with Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz. He has been very effective in this role and is off to a great start, with three points (2G / 1A), nine shots, and four hits in three games.

Erik Haula
Joel Edmundson (hand) has been placed on the long-term injured reserve.

Edmundson had hand surgery during the offseason and was expected to miss the first four-to-six weeks of the regular season which has led to him being placed on the LTIR Monday. Washington acquired the defenseman from the Montreal for a third-round pick (originally acquired from Minnesota) and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft with Montreal retaining 50 percent of Edmundson's contract in the offseason. He is entering his ninth NHL season.

Joel Edmundson