Charlie Lindgren shuts out Rangers to help Capitals pick up win
Charlie Lindgren made several highlight-reel saves in a stellar 35-save performance Sunday night as the visiting Washington Capitals earned a 1-0 victory over the New York Rangers.
Lindgren, the brother of former New York defenseman Ryan Lindgren, posted his 10th career shutout and second against the Rangers. He improved to 4-1-0 in his career against the Rangers by making 13 saves apiece in the first and second before stopping nine shots in the third.
Lindgren's best save of the night occurred when the game was still scoreless as the Rangers were on a 2-on-1 4:53 into the second.
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad came down the ice on an odd-man rush. Panarin made a cross-ice pass, and Lindgren made a sprawling glove save by moving slightly out of the crease on Zibanejad's one-timer from below the right circle.
Anthony Beauvillier scored the lone goal with 6:13 remaining in the second as the Capitals won their second straight and beat the Rangers for the fourth straight time. Alex Ovechkin had an assist for the second straight game.
Lindgren became the fourth goalie in team history with a road shutout over the Rangers. He joined Darcy Kuemper (2022), Philipp Grubauer (2017) and Rick Tabaracci (1993).
The 31-year-old made seven saves on Zibanejad, including a left pad save during New York's power play with 3:55 left in the second. He also made his lone save on Panarin by stopping the star with a glove save with less than six minutes left in the third.
The Rangers were unable to follow up a pair of blowout wins after scoring a combined 10 goals in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. New York was shut out for the second straight time on home ice after taking a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in its home opener Tuesday.
New York backup goalie Jonathan Quick made 20 saves, including a point-blank save on Beauvillier with 12:07 left in the opening period after Rangers defenseman Will Borgen lost the puck.
The Capitals finally broke through when Beauvillier emerged untouched at the bottom of the left circle. As New York defensemen Urho Vaakanainen and Braden Schneider left him open, Ovechkin took a shot from the top of the circle, and Beauvillier lifted his stick for the deflection over Quick.