The Washington Capitals owe a debt of gratitude to former Canadiens goaltender Charlie Lindgren.
The 29-year-old American, who was hired by the Caps last summer, was forced to stand by when the team’s number one goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, fell in action on December 3.
And while Washington fell behind overall, Lindgren helped the team make a much-needed comeback by conceding with 8-1-0, .933 save percentage and 1.89 GAA.
He was even named First Star of the Week in the NHL on December 12.
Capitals coach Pete Laviolette admitted to the Washington Post that he “couldn’t ask for anything better of her”.
“There is no doubt that he seriously helped with our comeback,” he also said.
Lindgren is comfortable and happy with his current level of play. But he prefers to pass the ball on to his teammates.
“I think we’re all playing very well and we’ve definitely bought into the game plan,” he remarked.
“I have the impression that we fight harder than the other teams, we work harder and we find ways to win games,” he also said. I think we’re having a great time.”
Kuemper, who is also delighted with his assistant’s success, is set to return and it will be interesting to see what decisions Laviolette make in terms of his goalkeepers over the next few days.
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