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Charlie Lindgren to return to starter’s net against Jets in second game of back-to-back

By Chris Cerullo

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December 23, 2022 5:24 pm

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette announced earlier this week that the Capitals’ two back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday would be split in the crease by Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren.

Kuemper got the win over the Senators in Ottawa and now Lindgren will be between the pipes against the Winnipeg Jets. It will be Charlie’s ninth start in the month of December.

Lindgren has been absolutely phenomenal for the Caps with Kuemper out recently for eight games due to an upper-body injury. In his eight December starts the mustached backstop holds a 7-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

He also was awarded the NHL’s first star of the week for the week ending on December 11.

There will be no other changes to the Capitals lineup that took on the Senators. The scratches and goaltenders did hold an informal skate earlier on Friday.

The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir reports that the Jets will turn to David Rittich in their net as star netminder Connor Hellebuyck played on Thursday night in a loss to the Boston Bruins. Rittich has never started against the Caps before in his career.

According to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Winnipeg will also be without talented young forward Cole Perfetti after he was injured against the Bruins.

The Jets will come into the action currently holding second place in the NHL’s Central Division. They are one point back of the leading Dallas Stars (44).

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB

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