The Washington Capitals took a hit to their goaltending depth Friday when Charlie Lindgren suffered a head injury against Montreal. The team has now placed him on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least a week.
The incident happened in the second period when Brandon Duhaime pushed Nick Suzuki into Lindgren. Though he tried to tough it out, Lindgren eventually had to leave the game, with Logan Thompson stepping in.
Hunter Shepard is getting the call-up from the AHL’s Hershey Bears to fill the backup role.
Lindgren’s been quite a success story for the Caps. After signing as a backup in 2022, he shocked everyone last season with an impressive run that included a league-leading six shutouts in 50 games. His numbers were solid too – a 2.67 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
This season’s been different with Thompson in the picture. Lindgren’s played less but still put up decent numbers in his 21 starts, with a 2.65 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. Not bad for someone heading into free agency this summer.
As for Shepard, he’s no stranger to NHL ice. The 29-year-old got his first taste of the big leagues last season, starting four games for Washington.
He was absolutely dominant in the AHL last year. His performance was so good – a tiny 1.76 goals-against average and a stellar .929 save percentage in 34 games – that he won the award for the league’s top goalie.
This season hasn’t been quite as magical for Shepard. In 23 games with Hershey, his numbers have dipped to a 2.68 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
For now, he’ll watch Thompson’s back until Lindgren can return to action.
