The Capitals put on a show defensively to get back in the win column.
It was the Charlie Lindgren show at Capital One Arena on Saturday, as the 29-year-old netminder dazzled in his second start of the season and return from injury to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It marked the Capitals' 1,000th win on home ice, and the game also featured some early goals, a lot of opportunities and, most importantly, a strong defensive effort for a vital two points.
Here are all the takeaways from the win:
Charlie Lindgren Steals Show
Lindgren, who recently returned from an injury suffered in an optional morning skate just before the second game of the season, hadn't played since Oct. 13 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game where his performance outshined the 4-0 shutout loss. But on Saturday, he got a hard-earned win, carrying the team with a stellar showing between the pipes.
The 29-year-old stopped 34 of 35 shots, including 14 in the third period, using his flexibility and agility to make some ten-bell stops. He had quite a few impressive saves with the glove, including a backdoor stop, to hold down the fort in a tight game.
"Being back in the pipes tonight felt good. It's been over three weeks since I've played," Lindgren said. "When you get a big win over Columbus, it's pretty awesome."
His teammates were also impressed with how he was able to stay locked in and show no signs of rust after not playing for a long period of time.
"He's a gamer when he's in there. He gets momentum, he's a tough goalie to beat. He made some huge saves, some highlight-reel saves," Tom Wilson said. "It's fun to see him doing his thing in there. He's a good man, a good teammate and had a heck of a game.
"I don't know, he stays focused. He must like his rest, his sleep, I don't know. He stays ready and that's what you need. You need a tandem that's fire and we got two great goalies, so we're lucky."
Penalty Kill Impresses Again, Capitals Sacrifice The Body
Not only was Lindgren strong, but Washington's defensemen and penalty killers also rose to the occasion.
The Capitals killed off four penalties, and have now killed off 12 straight penalties overall. It's a huge step forward for the team, which turned to youngsters Beck Malenstyn and Connor McMichael to step up with Nic Dowd and Nicklas Backstrom out of the mix. Washington had some rust on the PK to open the season, but now, things appear to be clicking again.
Not only did the Capitals impress there, but the team came together to block shots and sacrifice the body for Lindgren. Washington's skaters combined for 25 blocks, and one notable one was from Rasmus Sandin, who sacrificed his back to shut down a one-time attempt.
"As a goalie, you love to see it. You love to see your teammates selling out for you, because it inspires you to do the same... it's not easy," Lindgren said.
For Wilson, it's all part of the job.
"Every guy, every man in the room was doing it. It's contagious. One guy does it, the next guy up does it. That's something we're gonna build into our identity as a group," Wilson added. "That's how you win games, that's how you win championships is guys willing to lay it on the line. Tonight guys were doing that."
Capitals Strike First & Ride 2-Goal First To Win, Offense Still Needs Work
The Capitals also benefitted from two early goals, and a lot of it was thanks to good work by Sandin and the defenders.
At 7:40 of the first, Wilson, who missed a penalty shot earlier in the frame, picked up a loose puck after a strong entry by Sandin. He then stayed with the bouncing biscuit before sneaking it past Elvis Merzlikins to make it 1-0.
Later, in the final minutes of the frame, Sandin found Nick Jensen, who then spotted Sonny Milano for a tap-in, backdoor goal.
After that, it was quiet offensively, as Washington went 0-for-3 on the power play. Alex Ovechkin and the team also missed a couple of opportunities, and there were also some missed connections, failed opportunities and a bit of overpassing.
"We're not quite there yet [offensively]," John Carlson acknowledged while talking about the team's defensive game.
Still, the team believes it's on the right track.
Game Notes
- The Capitals lost Trevor van Riemsdyk to a lower-body injury after his skate awkwardly hit the boards in the first period.
- Carlson had a team-leading four shots.
- Malenstyn led the way physically with five hits.
- The fourth line didn't get much ice time, with Hendrix Lapierre getting 7:46 and Phillips skating just 9:42, but it looks like Anthony Mantha's ice time was cut short as he got just 11:41 minutes and 14 total shifts.