The Charlie Lindgren Game: Caps Blank Rangers Behind 35-Save Shutout

The Washington Capitals defeated the New York Rangers in Manhattan on Sunday night. There is to be no argument as to how they did it. The win belongs to Charles Entertainment Lindgren.

After a scoreless first period, Anthony Beauvillier scored a beatiful goal in the second period, deflecting a deft pass from Alex Ovechkin to make it 1-0 Caps.

It was the only goal.

Caps win!

• In his first appearance of the season, Charlie Lindgren earned a shutout. 35 saves. He was magnificent. Watching the clip below is mandatory.

• I think I said this before, but I don’t think last season represents the baseline for Lindgren. He should have a good season. Should doing a lot of work there.
• This is the second The Charlie Lindgren game. The last one was last December against Carolina.
• Suiting up for the first time in eleven months was Sonny Milano, who got a top-line assignment for whatever reason. I don’t know where Milano stands right now, but I’m very happy to see him in the lineup again. He’s had a rough go, but he’s a terrific player when he’s healthy.
• Taylor Raddysh plays for the New York Rangers. Raddysh, as you’ll recall, is a top-ranked “hey that guy used to play for the Capitals, well, anyway” player.
• Another ex-Cap, Conor Sheary
  , was noticeable. He drew a penalty from Wilson and prevented a goal by Wilson.
• Sheary got hurt in the third period. It looked awful, but he didn’t miss a shift. So too did 
  Pierre-Luc Dubois, about whom you probably care more.
• Dubois’ line with Protas and Wilson really struggled during five-on-five. They saw a lot of Will Cuylle.
• The Caps didn’t get a power play until JT Miller tripped Pierre-Luc Dubois in the third period. The PP remains pathetic. They got three attempts, one on goal, none in the goal, which is 
  the goal.
• Declan Chisholm, rogue demon hunter, stepped into play as Trevor van Riemsdyk sat out. I don’t know why TVR is out, but I assume it’s one of the undisclosed injuries Carbery spoke around before the game.

There’s a lot not working for the Caps so far. They’ve already got injuries. Ovechkin hasn’t scored. The top line isn’t exactly cruising. Their offseason acquisition is fast, but so far that’s it. They’ve been slugging coming out of the first intermission. They are overpassing. The power play is cooked.

And yet: scoreboard. They’re banking wins and doing okay at their five-on-five fundamentals. Tampa Bay will be a real test. That’s Tuesday.

Charlie Lindgren’s Sweet Revenge for Brother’s NHL Exit

Hockey fans had just one game to pay attention to on Sunday night. And it was a rather close affair. The New York Rangers looked to follow up two dominant victories with another on home ice. On the other side, goaltender Charlie Lindgren made his season debut for the Washington Capitals. And he played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Lindgren had his work cut out for him, facing 35 shots from the Rangers. However, he stood on his head, stopping all of them. The Capitals won Sunday night’s lone NHL contest by a 1-0 scoreline.

This win was a bit personal for Lindgren, as well. His brother, Ryan, was traded by the Rangers last year. He went to the Colorado Avalanche, and signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Kraken this summer. Charlie Lindgren spoke about what this win meant, given the circumstances.

“It felt good to get a win for my brother, and obviously, for the team here. 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’re definitely going to miss him. There’s going to be a big hole back there,” the Capitals goaltender said, via Washington Post reporter Bailey Johnson.

Capitals’ Charlie Lindgren hoping to recapture 2023-24 form

Lindgren has undergone an impressive career resurgence since joining Washington in 2022-23. He truly broke out in 2023-24, splaying 50 games and finishing with a .911 save percentage. He was a major reason a lethargic Capitals offense was able to make the playoffs, in fact.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same luck in 2024-25. He finished the year with an .896 save percentage. And he finished with -4.93 Goals Saved Above Average. according to Evolving Hockey.

Lindgren has shown he can be a good goaltender in this league. His performance on Sunday night shows as much. He had added motivation against the Rangers, and they were unable to solve him. The Capitals are in action again on Tuesday when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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