The Capitals are looking for their sixth straight win.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals will be getting a key name back in the mix for the team's Black Friday tilt against the Edmonton Oilers, as Evgeny Kuznetsov will make his returns to the lineup.
Kuznetsov has sat out the last two games due to an illness but will be back in to take on Connor McDavid and Edmonton. Hendrix Lapierre had been in the lineup with Kuznetsov sick, impressing and showing head coach Spencer Carbery what he can do at the NHL level on a fast third line with Sonny Milano and Aliaksei Protas.
Lapierre will be a healthy scratch, and Kuznetsov is expected to remain on the third line with Milano and Protas after having played the last few games with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson up front.
For Carbery, Kuznetsov had to take some more time off due to missed practice time amid back-to-back bouts of illness.
"Kuzy needed a few extra days. He's been sick a couple times over the last couple weeks and missed a significant amount of practice time," Carbery explained. "We felt like to get him s close to 100 as we could to give him a couple extra days to get back and get ready."
Kuznetsov has sat out the last two games due to an illness but will be back in to take on Connor McDavid and Edmonton. Hendrix Lapierre had been in the lineup with Kuznetsov sick, impressing and showing head coach Spencer Carbery what he can do at the NHL level on a fast third line with Sonny Milano and Aliaksei Protas.
Lapierre will be a healthy scratch, and Kuznetsov is expected to remain on the third line with Milano and Protas after having played the last few games with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson up front.
In goal, Charlie Lindgren will make his return to the lineup after backing up Darcy Kuemper in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres. Lindgren is 4-1-0 on the season with a .940 save percentage and 2.01 GAA, and he's won his last four starts.
Meanwhile, Fehervary will miss his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury he suffered while defending the net front in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 10. He has been ramping up and is "getting closer," but will have to wait until California to make his return to the lineup.
"He's right there. I think we're probably expecting [him] to play in San Jose," Carbery said.
Washington is looking for its sixth straight win. Puck drop is at 3 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.