A Real Knack for Bouncing Back

Much has been made of goaltender Roman Cechmanek’s inconsistency. But his inconsistency has had consistent moments.

The two times Cechmanek has been pulled this season, he played 28 minutes in two losses. In each case, he was sent back into the fray two days later and came away with a victory, the most recent being Thursday’s 3-0 shutout of the Dallas Stars at Staples Center.

He has 11 wins, four of them shutouts, and could easily have had five, surrendering a goal with 1 minute 7 seconds left in a 3-1 victory over Chicago on Nov. 29. The league leader in shutouts is New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur, who got No. 5 against Washington on Thursday.

“[Cechmanek] is very resilient, a very humble man,” King goaltending consultant Andy Nowicki said Friday. “He doesn’t get too high or he doesn’t get too low.”

Andy Murray spoke of Cechmanek’s ability to bounce back from shaky outings.

“It’s obviously huge,” the King coach said. “You know that most nights he’s going to give you a chance to win, and that’s what you ask your goaltender to do. Roman would be the first to admit he’s given up some goals he shouldn’t have. But he’s bounced back and been real good in that regard. We’d like him to still be more consistent.”

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Ailing defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky and Maxim Kuznetsov were given the day off. Since going minus-three on Nov. 27 in Phoenix, Visnovsky is plus-two in his last four games.

TONIGHT

vs. Washington, 7:30 , Fox Sports Net.

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- KSPN (710).

Records -- Kings 13-10-1-1, Capitals 8-16-1-1.

Record vs. Capitals -- 1-0.

Update -- The Capitals’ 3-0 loss Thursday to the Devils ended former King forward Robert Lang’s scoring streak at 16 games. He had 11 goals and 14 assists in that span and came within a game of tying a franchise record. Washington, 2-3 in its last five, mustered only nine shots on goal, only one in the first period.