Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren bounced back with a convincing win over the Kings, one that sets him up for success as he adapts to a new role.
WASHINGTON — It'd been a long time since Charlie Lindgren found himself on the right side of a result for the Washington Capitals.
After roughly a month of losses navigating "junk-mail starts," a term Barry Trotz used to describe unfavorable goaltending assignments, Lindgren made a statement in Monday's 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, stopping 30 of 31 in a game where he wasn't playing in a matinee matchup or in the second half of a back-to-back with a tired, fatigued group.
"Because (Logan Thompson) has gotten the majority of starts and has played really, really well at a high level, Chucky has had some scenarios that have been less than ideal for preparation, for game flow, for predictability of what the game is going to feel like," coach Spencer Carbery said. "Those aren't easy situations, but that's life in the NHL, for any player or goaltender."
It put an end to a four-game losing streak for the 31-year-old netminder, who is 2-3-1 with a .893 save percentage and 3.16 GAA. And while it helped to have more ideal circumstances with his most recent start, he knows that he had to be better in net.
"You never want to make excuses. I mean, is it better, are games better when you're not getting in at two, three in the morning? Probably," Lindgren acknowledged. "But you know, the games that I played so far, it's the NHL. You get up for those games no matter what. Definitely not going to make any excuses."
Lindgren is also working to adapt to his new role as a backup after splitting the net with Logan Thompson last season. That in itself has presented a challenge, too; while he tries to stay ready and sharp, there's only so much players can do at practice to mimic an actual game.
That said, he believes he can continue to raise the bar.
"When I get the chance to get in there... I go in there and work as hard as I can," Lindgren said, adding, "That's my job, to keep the puck out of the net."
That's why Monday's win, where Lindgren was instrumental in securing two points against the NHL's best road team, was so vital.
"Those guys love him, they just care so much about Chucky," Carbery said. "As hard as it is for Chucky when he's in games and we're not playing well in front of him, and they're ending up the back of the net, the guys feel that too, and they take that to heart.
"(Monday) is just a really positive step... he's got some confidence. His teammates obviously now are like, 'Yeah, okay, Chucky's back. That's the Chucky we know.' Where it goes from here and where he plays next we'll determine, but I'm happy for him. The next time he goes in, he should feel really good about his game."