The Washington Capitals alternated starts in goal between Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren for much of last season as both goaltenders tried to distinguish themselves and earn new contracts. The setup not only yielded great goaltending, which helped make them the Eastern Conference’s best team, but both goalies got extensions, keeping them in DC longterm.
While the situation worked well last year, Spencer Carbery does not want to go backward. The Capitals’ head coach was adamant that Thompson was the team’s starter during training camp, and on Tuesday, he was forceful that nothing had changed in the arrangement despite Charlie Lindgren being sensational in his season debut — a 35-save shutout against the New York Rangers on Sunday that included a highlight-reel save.
The conversation between Carbery and the press went like this at the Capitals’ morning skate:
Tarik El-Bashir: When you have one goalie who had the game that he had the other night, does it kind of make you go, ‘Hm, do we have a decision to make here?’
Spencer Carbery: No.
Tarik El-Bashir: Fair, fair.
Spencer Carbery: We have a plan when it comes to the goalies.
Tarik El-Bashir: It’s also so early in the season too.
Joe Beninati: Tarik, that’s a hard no.
Spencer Carbery: I’m happy for Chuck, he was outstanding. So you’re extremely happy for him, but that doesn’t change his standing. We knew he was terrific and know he’s a great goalie, and he’s going to get plenty of opportunity to play this year.
Lindgren was indeed outstanding against the Rangers, stopping 3.3 goals above expected, per Money Puck — good for sixth-best in the league.
Thompson, though, has been extremely sharp early in the season, too, posting a 2.03 goals against average and a .930 save percentage in his two starts. Thompson has stopped 1.7 goals above expected and only given up four goals total in his two appearances.
So, in short, no, there’s no goaltending controversy in DC.
