Charlie Lindgren won’t dress for the Capitals on Wednesday night due to an upper-body injury.
According to the Capitals’ John Walton, Lindgren did appear for part of the team’s morning skate ahead of their game against the Maple Leafs. However, head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed to reporters in Toronto that Lindgren wasn’t healthy enough to play, meaning Mitch Gibson will sit second chair to Logan Thompson on Wednesday night.
“He’s day-to-day right now,” Carbery said. “He has an upper-body (injury).”
Lindgren was able to play the entirety of Washington’s 8-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday, but did not join the team for practice on Tuesday, and the Capitals recalled Gibson that afternoon.
Gibson has served as a backup at the NHL level before, but has yet to make his debut with the Capitals. The 26-year-old backstop signed a two-year, two-way contract with the team in February. In the AHL with the Hershey Bears this year, Gibson is 9-8-3 with a 2.79 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and one shutout.
Thompson will make his first start since beating the Buffalo Sabres in a 37-save effort last Saturday. In his career against the Maple Leafs, he is 5-1-1 with a 2.34 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and one shutout.
