The Capitals netminder doesn't get flustered, and they'll need his bouncebackability to be off the charts against Pittsburgh.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren likes to compare himself as a lion.
An analogy and ode to his spirit animal is scribbled in paint on the back of his mask, and has been there over his still-young career. The 30-year-old netminder is no stranger to high stakes or pressure, nor does he ignore the magnitude of the games that he's been tasked with starting down this vital stretch for D.C.
"I'm capable of doing a lot of big things, and that's kind of the way I look at it. Certainly lions, they're big, physical. I mean, am I big and physical? I mean, maybe not, but I think it's more the mentality," Lindgren told The Hockey News. "No one wants to mess with a lion. Throughout my career, I've been through a bunch of adversity, but it's never stopped me. I've kept on pushing and I think I'm a hard guy to knock down."
He embraces the challenge of each game, and it's that resiliency and can-do attitude that's impressed Spencer Carbery and his team at this point in time, and it's what the Capitals will need once again as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in the biggest game of the year on Thursday.
"I think a lot of it is who he is as a person. He's ultra, ultra competitive, but I also find him to be very, very even-keeled," Carbery said. "He's able to reset, refocus and go right back out."
After being given the mercy pull in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, where giveaways and turnovers resulted in him giving up three goals in a span of 2:30 minutes, Lindgren is heading right back into the fire and will start on Thursday.
Washington is banking on a top performance from the Lakeville, Minnesota native, who boasts 7.8 goals saved above expected per game, a .909 save percentage and five shutouts through 41 starts.
The team is more than confident it will see that, as he has yet to go back-to-back starts without earning his team at least a point. But also, it's his approach and ability to move on that has the Capitals banking on him to earn two huge points.
"Even in games where we've struggled in front of him, I've kind of looked for opportunities for him to get frustrated or maybe upset with some of the play in front of him and what he's been subjected to. Never. Never," Carbery said. "And that tells me right here, he's extremely mentally tough and just focuses on what he needs to do. And if it doesn't go well, whether it's the players in front of him or his own play, he's able to flip next day, reset, refocus, what do I need to do today to play at my highest level?"