WASHINGTON, DC — Charlie Lindgren was feeling sick off the ice Friday, but he decided to be even more sick on it against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lindgren put up up 24 saves in the Capitals’ 3-1 win over the Canes, with none more impressive than his showstopping windmill save against Tyson Jost in the second period.
Not only did Lindgren put up a save-of-the-year candidate stop, but he did it while spending intermission in the locker room bathroom. The Caps confirmed to reporters that Lindgren battled an illness all game, with the team’s postgame locker room video going into more…illustrative detail.
Spencer Carbery: How about one of the greatest f***ing saves I think I’ve ever seen?
(Applause, player yells “Chuckie!”)
Offscreen player: And he was puking.
Spencer Carbery: Holy f***. And you threw up?
Charlie Lindgren: Yeah.
Offscreen player: Intermission puke!
Spencer Carbery: That’s a f***ing night right there.
Lindgren’s highlight-reel save on Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost earned a standing ovation from fans at Capital One Arena, with the team later playing his goal song, Toby Keith’s “Should’ve been a Cowboy,” over the arena speakers.
SIMPLY SENSATIONAL pic.twitter.com/2NVWMGmkSL
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2024
He may have been spending intermissions on the toilet, but Lindgren put up a stellar performance even outside of his cartwheel stop. He stopped all but one of Carolina’s 25 shots, ending the night with a .960 save percentage and 1.57 goals saved above expected to earn First Star of the Game honors.
And while Lindgren didn’t receive the Caps’ player of the game chain, John Carlson only passed him over out of a fear he might be contagious.
“Chuckie, I’d give it to you, but I’m not coming near you,” Carlson said.
Lindgren was too sick to speak to the media postgame, but his teammates were all too happy to pump his tires in his absence.
“I did something like that when I played NHL on the Xbox, but not like this. Not in real life,” Aliaksei Protas said when asked if he’d seen a save like that before.
“I haven’t seen one of those saves in a long time,” added Connor McMichael. “It brought back a little vintage style there.”
Even Jost, the unlucky recipient of Lindgren’s heroics, couldn’t help but be impressed.
“He made a great save,” Jost said postgame. “I did everything I could to kind of put it where I wanted it. He made a circus save, so tip your hat to him, I guess.”
Head coach Spencer Carbery highlighted the boost Lindgren’s save — and fans’ reactions — gave to the Capitals’ energy as they defended what was then a one-goal game.
“Huge save. I mean the crowd, the building — because I’ve seen a save like that live before, coached behind the bench, but usually it’s off the pad,” he said. “The glove was the impressive part of that one, that he makes the glove save on that one.”
Lindgren won’t have long to rest before getting back in the net. The Capitals will practice Saturday before playing back-to-back games against the LA Kings and Boston Bruins on Sunday and Monday.
