In The Capitals Locker Room, Charlie Lindgren's A Vital Voice. Thursday In Detroit Was Just Another Reminder

As Nic Dowd buried the shootout winner for the Washington Capitals in what was dubbed their most important game of the year against the Detroit Red Wings, Charlie Lindgren, in pain, made it to the bench before having to be carried down the tunnel to the dressing room.

In the arms of John Carlson and Justin Sourdif, Lindgren limped his way to the room to cheers of "Chucky" from his teammates.

Though he was in visible discomfort and left hurting at the end of overtime, the 32-year-old, who had 17 saves in regulation against Detroit, toughed it out and stayed in net for the shootout.

It spared call-up Clay Stevenson from having to come in cold and face the likes of Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin without any warmup. Lindgren, despite being unable to move much, went 1-for-3, while the Capitals scored back-to-back-to-back shootout goals to steal the 4-3 win and a huge two points.

"Chucky gives us an opportunity to win that game," Nic Dowd said following the victory. "Guy's been a warrior for us all year, big-time leader and I think we deserved to win that game and he deserved to win."

Since arriving in D.C. back in 2022, Lindgren has been a staple in the Capitals dressing room, not only coming up big in goal — his performance alone down the stretch in 2024 helped the team sneak back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs — but also being a steady voice and positive presence off the ice.

He's also been a big part of establishing a welcoming culture in D.C., emphasizing the "agape love" that he has for his teammates.

"It's fitting, because obviously, as you know, there's a lot of love in the locker room," Lindgren said. "We really enjoy each other, and like I said, it's special."

“You can come to the rink and be who you are, and you’re going to be loved because of that," he added. "It’s a beautiful thing, I think that’s what makes this team so special. I love this team to death.”

It's also Lindgren who's helped establish the Capitals as one of the league's closest rooms. He's also helped set up bible studies for the group and brought in a pastor, which has had a lasting impact on several players, including Jakob Chychrun.

"It’s given me a different perspective on even coming to the rink every day,” Chychrun said. “I just feel very grateful."

So, when it comes to Thursday, it was just another example of how much Lindgren has come to mean to the organization.