Capitals Recall Clay Stevenson, Charlie Lindgren Questionable
10:00 AM: The Capitals’ optional morning skate revealed a bit more about their call-up of Stevenson. Expected Game 5 backup Charlie Lindgren is dealing with a personal matter that could hinder his ability to suit up on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. If that’s the case, Washington will run with Thompson starting and one of Stevenson or Mitchell Gibson in the backup role.
9:00 AM: The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Clay Stevenson from the AHL in preparation for Thursday’s Game 5 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington is one loss away from being eliminated. With the Hershey Bears not playing until Friday, AHL backup Stevenson will join the Capitals as an emergency third-string goalie for the must-win contest.
It’s unlikely that Stevenson will get near the lineup with Logan Thompson holding a firm grip over the starting role. Thompson is expected to receive his 10th-straight playoff start on Thursday. He was red-hot against the Montreal Canadiens in Round One, posting a 0.923 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against-average as Washington bounced Montreal in five games. Thompson’s numbers have slipped slightly against Carolina – down to a .913 and 2.75 goals-against-average, even despite only allowing three goals on 61 shots through the first two games of the series. But even with the dip, Thompson’s numbers are strong – and will keep him unwavering in the starter’s crease.
Stevenson has served behind Hunter Shepard through the start of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. He posted a .875 save percentage and 6-4 win in the sole appearance he’s made so far – though hasn’t been able to get over the .850 save percentage and 2-2 record of Shepard. Stevenson posted an 18-8-5 record, .888 save percentage, and 2.94 goals-against-average through the AHL regular season. He also made his NHL debut this season – and recorded five goals on 33 shots and a loss. Stevenson will likely be reassigned before Hershey’s next game on Friday, though that could change should Washington hold onto their season for one more game.
Scott Arniel, Spencer Carbery, Martin St. Louis Named Jack Adams Finalists
The Jets’ Scott Arniel, the Capitals’ Spencer Carbery, and the Canadiens’ Martin St. Louis are this year’s Jack Adams Award finalists as the NHL’s top head coach, the league announced.
All are first-time finalists. Unlike most other awards (like the Selke, whose finalists were announced today), the Adams is voted on by broadcast media members, not print/digital.
In his first season behind the Winnipeg bench after taking over for the retiring Rick Bowness, Arniel guided the Jets to their first Presidents’ Trophy and best regular season in franchise history. Promoted after serving as an assistant under Bowness since 2022-23, the former Jets 1.0 forward logged a 56-22-4 record.
This is Arniel’s second stop as an NHL head coach. He was previously at the helm of the Blue Jackets for a year and a half, posting a 45-60-18 (.439) record in 123 games before being fired at the halfway point of the 2011-12 season. He would be the first bench boss in Jets 2.0 franchise history to win Coach of the Year honors.
Over in Washington, Carbery oversaw one of the league’s biggest point increases from 2023-24 to 2024-25 in his second year behind the Capitals’ bench. He’s now posted a 91-53-20 (.616) record across his two seasons in the role, including an Eastern Conference-leading 51-22-9 record this year for Washington’s first division title in five years. While it’s not considered for this award’s purposes, he also just guided the Caps to their first playoff series win since 2018 with a five-game dispatching of the Canadiens in the first round.
Carbery helped improve Washington’s offense from a 28th-ranked 2.63 goals per game last year to 3.49 in 2024-25, second-best in the NHL. If he wins, the 43-year-old would be the first to take home Coach of the Year honors at every stop of the NHL’s professional development pyramid. While in lower levels of the Caps organization, he won COTY honors with ECHL South Carolina in 2013-14 and with AHL Hershey in 2020-21.
As for St. Louis, the Hall-of-Fame winger could add coaching-related honors to a trophy case that includes a Stanley Cup, two Art Ross Trophies, MVP honors, and three Lady Byng Trophies. Coming off his third full season behind the Montreal bench, the 49-year-old helped guide a young Habs squad out of the dark stages of their rebuild. The team recorded their first 40-win season in six years and ended a three-year postseason drought that was tied for the longest (1999-2001, 1920-1922) in franchise history. A Habs bench boss hasn’t been named COTY since Pat Burns in 1989.
Capitals Recall Mitchell Gibson, Assign Clay Stevenson To AHL
With the next few days off, the Capitals have made a couple of moves on the goalie front. The team announced that they’ve recalled Mitchell Gibson from AHL Hershey while assigning Clay Stevenson to the Bears.
Gibson is in his second full professional season and spent the bulk of the year with ECHL South Carolina. In 14 games with the Stingrays, he played quite well, putting up a 1.75 GAA and a .933 SV% while winning his only start with Hershey. However, he has played just three times for the Bears over the last two years which might not help his cause heading into restricted free agency this summer.
As for Stevenson, he made his NHL debut in the final game of the regular season but otherwise has played exclusively with the Bears in each of the last two years. In 33 games with Hershey this season, he posted a 2.94 GAA along with a .888 SV%, numbers that were considerably worse compared to a year ago when those checked in at 2.06 and .922, respectively.
The move will essentially serve as a swap of third-string goaltenders, allowing Stevenson to potentially see game action with Hershey during their second-round series against Lehigh Valley. Before their series against Carolina gets underway, there’s a good chance this move will be reversed.
Tom Wilson's Physicality Again Supporting Capitals
- Washington Capitals power forward Tom Wilson‘s physicality has been a key catalyst in the team’s first-round matchup against the Canadiens, writes The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber. As Silber notes, Wilson delivered a big hit on Alexandre Carrier that led to the game-tying goal in game four, which the Caps would go on to win 5-2. Washington is now just one win away from moving on to the second round. While the hit has drawn speculation as to its legality, no penalty was called, and momentum was clearly shifted toward the Capitals. As Wilson said after the game: “It’s been a physical series both ways, getting hit, giving hits, they’ve been really physical, so it’s a long series. You just try and kind of invest and continue to play hard every shift you’re out there. It was a big hit and the boys were able to score right after. That’s the way hockey goes.” It was the second consecutive game Wilson’s physicality came into play. In game three, Wilson and Josh Anderson engaged in a wrestling match that ended up spilling into Washington’s bench. Both players received roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts and were also assessed $5,000 fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Dylan McIlrath Fined By Department Of Player Safety
- Similarly to Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, the Department of Player Safety has fined Washington Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath $2,018.23 for unsportsmanlike conduct in yesterday’s pre-game warm-up. Again, the league didn’t share any specifics of the altercation, but video footage indicates the two sharing words with several members of the opposing teams.
[SOURCE LINK]
Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas, Logan Thompson To Be Game-Time Decisions
Sunday’s morning skate was more than encouraging for the Washington Capitals. Starting goaltender Logan Thompson took the ice and practiced in full just two days after sustained a knee injury in the waning minutes of Game 3. Thompson seemed down for the count after an awkward collision with teammate Dylan Strome, and Washington seemed set to turn towards backup Charlie Lindgren for the remainder of the First Round. But after Sunday’s practice, both Thompson and forward Aliaksei Protas – who has missed nine games due to a laceration on his foot – will be game-time decisions for Game 4, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen.
The Capitals will be thrilled at the prospect of getting their hard-nosed starter back. Backup Lindgren has performed well enough when called upon this season, with a 20-14-3 record and .894 save percentage. But his performances have paled in comparison to the breakout season that Thompson managed. He recorded a dazzling 31-6-6 record and .910 save percentage in 43 starts this season. That save percentage ranks as the 11th-highest from any Capitals starter since 2000. He’s ranked behind four Braden Holtby seasons; one season from each of Olaf Kolzig, Tomas Vokoun, and Jose Theodore; and sprinkles of breakout years from Lindgren and Michal Neuvirth.
But Thompson’s seemed to shine just as bright, if not brighter, in the spotlight than many of his predecessors. He’s recorded a .917 save percentage through three playoff games this year – even despite allowing five goals in his last outing – and managed a .921 in four games of the Vegas Golden Knights’ run last season. Holding onto that level of play in the starter’s crease could be pivotal as Washington looks to buck a Game 3 loss and wrap up their first round series.
Protas will be just as dramatic of an addition. The 24-year-old forward had his own breakout campaign this year, scoring a career-high 30 goals and 66 points in 76 games – more than a full lap over the six goals and 29 points he scored in 78 games last season. Protas was the perfect fit in Washington’s top-six, offering a lumbering frame and quick cuts in the middle lane to compliment the fast-moving Connor McMichael or heavy-shooting Alex Ovechkin on the flanks. He will step straight into Washington’s top-six should he return for Game 4, likely bumping Taylor Raddysh or Brandon Duhaime out of the lineup in the process.
Aliaksei Protas Close to Return For Washington
Montreal Canadiens starting goalie Samuel Montembeault is being evaluated after leaving Friday’s game three victory over the Capitals, per NHL.com reporter Dan Rosen.
Charlie Lindgren Expected To Start Game Four For Capitals
Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery didn’t provide an injury update on Logan Thompson today, but did seem to clear a path for Charlie Lindgren to start game four against the Canadiens on Sunday, per NHL.com reporter Dan Rosen.
Thompson had a rough game three in multiple ways. He not only let in five goals but also collided with teammate Dylan Strome in the third period that resulted in his exit from the game. While his exact injury isn’t known, it appeared Thompson may have suffered a leg injury (though he also seemed to hold his head following the collision). And while Carbery didn’t provide an update on Thompson’s status, he did seem to clarify who would be between the pipes for game four. As Rosen notes, Carbery told reporters, “It’ll be next man up for us and we know ‘Chucky’ Lindgren. He’s done a great job. He’s a great goaltender.”
While Lingren provides a solid veteran option for Washinton for the short term, his .894 save percentage this past season, in addition to his lack of playoff experience (four career starts), probably isn’t inspiring many within the organization if Thompson does miss significant time.
And while Thompson also doesn’t own a lot of playoff experience (seven career starts), he is coming off of a Vezina-candidate regular season where we produced a 31-6-6 record to go along with a .910 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average. His return to health, as well as efficiency, will be key to Washington’s Stanley Cup aspirations. The 27-year-old owns a career .912 save percentage and a 137-87-38 record.
Josh Anderson, Tom Wilson Fined For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
For their part in a game three incident, Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson and Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson were both fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, per an NHL release.
The fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. As players prepared to enter their respective locker rooms at the end of the second period, Wilson and Anderson engaged in a wrestling match that ended up spilling into Washington’s bench. Both players received roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts. Multiple players joined the fracas, and Washington’s Lars Eller and Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj were also assessed minor penalties. For his part, Wilson also took the opportunity to mock Montreal players directly following the incident.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery told reporters following the game that the situation was, “Just two competitive teams, two competitive guys going at it.” He added that when the second period concluded, he was making his way to the locker room when he needed to reverse course to avoid Anderson and Wilson coming into Washington’s bench.
These types of situations are not uncommon for Wilson, who has been suspended five time in his career in additional to several fines he’s accumulated over the years. Playing on the edge is also what has made Wilson a successful power forward for the Caps. His 2,368 career hits only trail teammate Alex Ovechkin in Washington history, while his 835 career games rank eighth in team history.
Anderson has also played a physical brand of hockey over his career, though this represents the first fine of his career (he did receive a two-game suspension for boarding in 2022). With the Canadians pulling away to a 6-3 win in game three, and drawing closer in the series, it will be interesting to see if there is a follow-up between the two physical forwards as the series progresses.
Capitals Assign Ilya Protas To AHL
One of Washington’s top prospects could soon be getting his first taste of playing in the pros. The Capitals announced that they have reassigned winger Ilya Protas from OHL Windsor to AHL Hershey.
The 18-year-old was a third-round pick last June, going 75th overall after a solid first season in North America with USHL Des Moines after previously playing in Belarus’ junior program. Having had some success with his brother Aliaksei (who had a breakout year with the Caps this season), Washington felt Ilya, who stands 6’5, was worth a mid-round look as well, making them the second set of brothers to be drafted by the team in franchise history (the others being Yvon and Rick Corriveau).
It’s a pick that certainly looks promising not even a year later. Protas moved to the major junior level this season with the Spitfires and was nothing short of dominant, notching 50 goals and 74 assists in just 61 games, good for second in the OHL in scoring. He became the first player since Alex DeBrincat to pot 50 goals in his first OHL campaign.
That production didn’t slow down in the playoffs either. He is the leading scorer of the postseason thus far after tallying five goals and 20 assists in just a dozen postseason contests.
Hershey has yet to begin its playoff run as the team is awaiting the end of the opening round (or play-in series) to see who their first opponent will be. It will be interesting to see if Protas will get a look at some point or if he’ll primarily serve as injury insurance.