Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren said he and his family "moved on" after what marked an ugly end to his younger brother, Ryan's, tenure with the New York Rangers. There's still fire there, though, and it fueled his shutout at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Lindgren dominated and came up with ten-bell stops time and time again, including a highlight-reel glove save on Mika Zibanejad after he went on a 2-on-1 with Artemi Panarin. He finished the night with 35 saves on 35 shots for a 1-0 win.
“I thought he was the best player. I think if he wasn’t there, I don’t think we would’ve walked out of here with two points," Anthony Beauvillier, who scored the lone goal in the victory, said.
Lindgren gave all the credit to his teammates, though.
"It’s the first game, you always kind of wonder how it’s going to go. You want to feel the first couple pucks, but credit to the guys in front of me,” Lindgren said, adding, “I got to see a lot of pucks… love the job my guys did.”
The 31-year-old has stellar splits against New York in his career, going 4-1-0 with a .957 save percentage, 1.19 GAA and two shutouts.
He's well aware of his resume against the Blueshirts, and didn't shy away from the fact that brother Ryan has something to do with it.
"There was a little extra for a while with my brother," Lindgren said. "There's still a little history here with my brother. I think that's part of it. There's been some good moments against the Rangers, there's been some tough moments — I go back to the playoffs and them sweeping us.
"But through my brother, I end up knowing a lot of those guys, so I think it adds a little bit extra motivation."
Ryan, who was acquired by the Rangers back in 2018, spent seven years in the organization. He battled injuries over his tenure and also faced scrutiny and criticism from time-to-time before he was ultimately traded to the Colorado Avalanche. He now plays for the Seattle Kraken.
"My brother laid it on the line every single night for this team. He loved being a Ranger, loved the group over there. I know for a fact they are definitely going to miss him. There's going to be a big hole back there," Lindgren said last season.
Overall, it was an impressive start for Lindgren, who is coming off what he called one of the best summers yet and is eager to show he can still be a top goaltender and split the crease with Logan Thompson.