After missing two straight games with an illness, Byfield will draw back into the lineup for the Kings on Wednesday evening. Before his injury, Byfield was riding a three-game point streak, with four points (2G / 2A) while playing on the top line, as he has for most of the season, with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Rittich will start for the second straight game as the reeling Kings look for a solution to their losing woes. The Kings have lost 14 of their last 16 (2-9-5), and their only two wins have come with Rittich between the pipes. Rittich has played well for the Kings, allowing three or fewer goals in five of his last six outings (2-1-2), posting a respectable .916 SV%. The Kings are -115 road favourites against a Nashville Predators team riding a two-game losing skid.
Byfield will come out of the Kings lineup for their game in Colorado on Friday. With Byfield unavailable, Arthur Kaliyev will draw back into the Kings lineup and Alex Laferriere will move up to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
With the return of Matt Roy (personal), Jordan Spence was the odd man out of the Kings' lineup Wednesday vs. Buffalo. The 22-year-old has yet to find the back of the net in 2023-24 but has a career high 14 assists, 49 SOG, four PIMs and a +7 plus/minus across 40 games played.
Kuemper served as the backup for the last two Capitals' games but will return to the crease on Tuesday against his former club, the Minnesota Wild. Kuemper is 4-5-1 in his career against Minnesota, with a 2.78 GAA and .908 SV%, well below his career average. Taking that into consideration, along with the Capitals being shut out 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues in their last game, the Capitals are +147 road underdogs on Tuesday against the Wild, who are riding a two-game winning streak.
Clarke will fill in for Matt Roy, who will get Monday's game off after his wife gave birth to their first child earlier in the day. Clarke is yet to register a point in three games with the Kings this season.
Kuemper served as the backup for the last two Capitals' games but will likely return to the crease on Tuesday against his former club, the Minnesota Wild. Kuemper is 4-5-1 in his career against Minnesota, with a 2.78 GAA and .908 SV%, well below his career average. Taking that into consideration, along with the Capitals being shut out 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues in their last game, the Capitals are +147 road underdogs on Tuesday against the Wild, who are riding a two-game winning streak.
Rittich has earned himself a third straight start, and fourth in the last five games, in a favourable matchup against the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Rittich has been a bright spot during a poor stretch for the Kings, going 3-1-1 with a .937 SV% and being responsible for the Kings' only three victories in the last 14 games (3-7-4). Despite their poor play lately, the Kings are sizeable -387 home favourites against a Sharks club that is 2-7-1 in their last 10.
