ARLINGTON, VA — The Capitals will once again have the services of Charlie Lindgren as they try to take a series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes. Lindgren was out of the lineup in Game 2 for family reasons, but was back on the ice for the team’s optional practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Friday.
Head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed that Lindgren would go with the team to Raleigh and would be available to back up in Game 3 on Saturday.
“Yeah, he’ll travel,” Carbery said after Friday’s practice.
Lindgren and his wife, Mikkayla, announced in December that they were expecting their first child.
Mitchell Gibson, who has spent parts of the year with the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays, replaced Lindgren as the backup in Game 2 on Thursday but was not called upon in the 3-1 win to tie the series 1-1. He previously filled in when Lindgren was out with an illness on April 2, 2023, though he has yet to play at the NHL level, and currently remains with the Capitals as the team’s third goaltender.
Lindgren played in seven of the Capitals’ final nine games of the regular season with Logan Thompson out of the lineup with an upper-body injury, but has not started in the playoffs. He last took the net in relief after another injury to Thompson took him out of Game 3 against the Montreal Canadiens, recording 6:37 of ice time and allowing one goal on five shots in the 6-3 loss.
In the regular season, Lindgren had a record of 20-14-3, a .894 save percentage, and a 2.73 goals against average. He signed a three-year extension with the Capitals in March.
