Nikita Okhotyuk will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Burroughs to re-enter the lineup for the Sharks. Burroughs has four points (0G / 4A), 85 hits, and 72 blocks in 35 games this season. He is expected to skate with Calen Addison on the third defensive pair.
The Capitals, losers of four straight, will return to Kuemper on Tuesday when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a three-game winning streak where Kuemper allowed two goals or less in each game, Kuemper has allowed five goals in consecutive games, both losses, posting an ugly .833 SV%. The Capitals are +151 road underdogs against the Penguins, who have outscored their opposition 14-3 during a three-game winning streak.
Booth has signed his first professional contract, a three-year, entry-level deal with the King with an AAV of $852,500. The 19-year-old was the 116th overall pick of the Kings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has 14 points (2G / 12A) in 29 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.
On the front end of a back-to-back, the Kings will turn to David Rittich for the second time in the last four games. In his Kings debut last week, Rittich saved 15 of 16 shots (.938 SV%) against the San Jose Sharks and will look to repeat his performance in a rematch against the Sharks on Wednesday. The Kings have won three of their last four (3-1-0) and are huge -344 home favourites against a Sharks team that has lost five straight (0-5-0), scoring only nine goals in that span.
Gavrikov was considered week-to-week when he was placed on the injured reserve on December 15th but will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. The 28-year-old defenseman was having one of the strongest offensive seasons of his seven-year career, with three goals, six assists, 29 SOG, six PIMs and a +8 plus/minus in 25 games before his injury.
On the front end of a back-to-back, the Kings will likely turn to David Rittich for the second time in the last four games. In his Kings debut last week, Rittich saved 15 of 16 shots (.938 SV%) against the San Jose Sharks and will look to repeat his performance in a rematch against the Sharks on Wednesday. The Kings have won three of their last four (3-1-0) and are huge -344 home favourites against a Sharks team that has lost five straight (0-5-0), scoring only nine goals in that span.
Kuemper did not play the last two games before the Christmas break for the Capitals but seems to be turning the corner on a terrible start to the 2023-24 campaign. In his first 13 games (5-6-2), Kuemper posted an ugly .887 SV% but is boasting a stellar .947 SV% in three games since (3-0-0), riding three consecutive quality starts for the first time this season. That said, the Capitals are sizeable +181 road underdogs against a New York Rangers team that has won four of their last five outings (4-1-0).
Jones will take a seat on Thursday as Cale Makar is set to return from an upper-body injury. Jones has no goals and three assists in 15 games this season.
On the front end of a back-to-back for the Capitals, Kuemper will start for the second straight game. Kuemper is riding consecutive quality starts and wins for only the second time this season, and will look for his first three-game winning streak on Wednesday. The 33-year-old netminder has saved 60 of the last 63 shots he has faced (.952 SV%). The Capitals are -114 home favourites against a New York Islanders team that has been scoring at an impressive rate lately, averaging 4.1 goals per game over their last 11 contests (7-2-2). Kuemper allowed three goals on 21 shots (.857 SV%) in a losing effort to the Islanders last month.
Pheonix Copley went down with an undisclosed injury last week, prompting Rittich's call-up from the Ontario Reign (AHL). The 31-year-old veteran netminder is In his 9th NHL season and has a 79-51-21 career record with a .904 SV% and a 2.87 GAA. In 16 games with Ontario (7-6-3), Rittich a 2.63 GAA and .901 SV%. He has a favourable matchup in his Kings debut as they are -252 road favourites against a San Jose Sharks team that has scored only four goals combined over their last three games (1-2-0).
Pheonix Copley went down with an undisclosed injury last week, prompting Rittich's call-up from the Ontario Reign (AHL). The 31-year-old veteran netminder is In his 9th NHL season and has a 79-51-21 career record with a .904 SV% and a 2.87 GAA. In 16 games with Ontario (7-6-3), Rittich a 2.63 GAA and .901 SV%. He has a favourable matchup in his Kings debut as they are -252 road favourites against a San Jose Sharks team that has scored only four goals combined over their last three games (1-2-0).
After being a healthy scratch at the end of November, Kuzmenko played 10 consecutive games but will again be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. In those 10 games, Kuzmenko has three points (3G / 0A) and is averaging only 13:53 time-on-ice, a significant drop from the 15:24 he was averaging in the 19 games leading up to then.
Moving Copley to LTIR means that Copley will be out a minimum of 10 games or 24 days. With Copley out, the Kings have recalled David Rittich from the AHL and he will serve as their No.2 behind Cam Talbot.
Studnicka was acquired from the Canucks a couple of days ago and will make his Sharks debut tonight in Colorado. The 24-year-old forward had one goal in five games with Vancouver earlier in the season and seven points (1G / 6A) in nine AHL games.
Studnicka was acquried in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek and a 2024 sixth-round draft pick. Studnicka played five games with the Canucks this season, registering one goal and zero assists. He's spent most of his time in Abbotsford (AHL) this year, scoring one goal and adding six assists in nine games.
Pheonix Copley went down in practice with an undisclosed injury earlier Friday so David Rittich has been recalled from Ontario (AHL) on an emergency basis. The 31-year-old veteran netminder is In his 9th NHL season and has a 79-51-21 career record with a .904 SV% and a 2.87 GAA. He will likely backup Cam Talbot for the foreseeable future until Copley can return.
Gavrikov left the Kings' game last Sunday after just 6:36 TOI due to a lower-body injury and missed Wednesday vs. Winnipeg and is now considered out week-to-week after being placed on the Injured Reserve. The 28-year-old defensemen was having one of the strongest offensive seasons of his seven year career, with three goals, six assists, 29 SOG, six PIMs and a +8 plus/minus in 25 games prior to his injury.
