Charlie Lindgren walked into the Capitals’ preseason finale with plenty to prove, and he answered the call in a big way.
Washington leaned on a roster packed with prospects against a Philadelphia Flyers lineup that featured most of its NHL regulars, but the night belonged to Lindgren and a young Capitals group that pulled away for a 5-1 win. For Lindgren, it was the kind of performance that can stick in a coach’s mind when roster decisions get tight.
The veteran goaltender was busy from the opening puck drop. Philadelphia came hard in the first period and earned four power-play chances, including a double-minor for high sticking, but Lindgren turned aside all 14 shots he faced in the frame. He flashed quick reflexes and made several athletic stops while turning away Matvei Michkov and other Flyers threats in close.
By the time he was done with 40 minutes of work, Lindgren had stopped 32 of 33 shots. That was the kind of workload Washington wanted to see as he tries to lock down the backup job behind Logan Thompson, with Clay Stevenson also pushing for a spot and final rosters due Monday at 5 p.m.
Once Lindgren’s night ended, Cal Petersen handled the third period and stopped all four shots he saw.
The Capitals also got useful production from some of the young forwards trying to leave a mark. Andrew Cristall was the most noticeable of the group, finishing with a goal, an assist and a drawn penalty while showing off the speed and edge that made him stand out. Ethen Frank, skating as an alternate captain on the top line, also turned in a strong effort and added a power-play goal in the second period to help stretch the lead.
In Other News...
Capitals Win Offered Their Clearest Look Yet At One Crucial Change
The Capitals got a late preseason test against Boston and used it to sharpen one of the biggest questions facing the team: how quickly a revamped power play can come together under new coach Ray Bennett. In a 3-2 overtime win in their second-to-last exhibition game, Washington mixed and matched line combinations while looking for the right chemistry, and the unit stood out as the most encouraging part of the night.
There was also a chance to see how the group would function with Alexander Ovechkin unavailable because of a lower-body injury, which pushed Ethen Frank into a featured role on the top power-play unit. The looks were different, the urgency was obvious and the results were there, even if the final preseason tune-up still leaves one bigger question hanging over the group heading into opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Face A Dylan Larkin Question They Can't Ignore
The trade market around Dylan Larkin has widened enough to put a handful of contenders back on alert, and Washington is now part of the conversation. What began as a short list of preferred destinations has grown, with reports saying the Detroit captain would now consider several more teams, a development that immediately matters to clubs looking for a center upgrade and to rivals trying to gauge whether there is any realistic path to a deal.
For the Capitals, the fit is at least worth monitoring, even if the hurdles are obvious. Detroit interim GM Shawn Horcoff is still sorting through possibilities, but cap space, protected contracts and thin trade assets have already made this a difficult puzzle across the league. Until a cleaner framework emerges, Washington remains one of the names attached to the situation without much clarity on how the pieces would actually come together. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Get An Encouraging Owen Zellweger Injury Update
Alexander Ovechkin will sit out Washingtons final two preseason games as he works back from a lower-body injury, a cautious move for a veteran captain whose importance to the Capitals hardly needs explaining. The timing is manageable for the team, which still expects him to be ready when the games start to count, but it does trim away two more opportunities for the group to build chemistry with its most recognizable face on the ice.
For the Capitals, the bigger takeaway is less about the preseason scorelines and more about keeping Ovechkin on track after a brief setback. The injuries piling up around the league have already touched other familiar names, including Dylan Larkin and Jacob Bernard-Docker in Detroit and Justin Brazeau in Pittsburgh, while Buffalo got encouraging news on Owen Zellwegers concussion recovery. Washingtons focus now is simply on getting through the last tune-up games cleanly and making sure its captain is ready when the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]