Darcy Kuemper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan recorded his first shutout in a Washington Capitals uniform and 26th of his National Hockey League career on Saturday as the Capitals blanked the Nashville Predators 3-0. He made 34 saves in the three-goal Washington win. Kuemper made 11 saves in the first period, 10 saves in the second period, and 13 saves in the third period. Roman Josi, the 2020 Norris Trophy winner, led the Predators with five shots on goal.
Offensively for the Capitals on Saturday, left winger Beck Malentsyn of Delta, British Columbia notched the game-winning goal for his second NHL regular season goal at 12:49 of the first period. Malentsyn’s first NHL regular season goal came in a 5-4 Capitals loss to the Florida Panthers on November 30, 2021. The other two Capitals goal scorers were Alexander Ovechkin and Aliaksei Protas.
Kuemper signed a five-year contract worth $26.25 million on July 13. Of his 26 career NHL shutouts, 10 have been with the Arizona Coyotes, seven have been with the Minnesota Wild, five have been with the Colorado Avalanche, three with the Los Angeles Kings, and now one with Washington.
In 2022-23, Kuemper now has a record of four wins and three losses. He has a goals against average of 2.47 and a save percentage of .919.
The Capitals are tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Islanders. Each team have 10 points.
