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Washington's goalie tandem lock down net position
Photo credit: NHL
When Braden Holtby's tenure ended with the Washington Capitals, confidence in the goal position wavered. That anxiety, however, was short-lived.
Goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren have brought stability between the pipes, though mainly because of Thompson's excellent play.
Washington Capitals goaltending looking good for years to come
Logan Thompson signed a 6-year extension in January, while Lindgren followed suit with a 3-year deal of his own, only a few months later.
"We like where we're sitting with those guys," president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan said. "They can carry the load and a certain point through the season."
Thompson had a great first season with the Caps, posting a record of 31-6-6, and .910 save % in 43 starts, and a .917 save % in the playoffs. Lindgren's stats were not so inspiring, unfortunately.
The so-called 1b goalie, Lindgren's save % was a sub-standard .896 in 39 appearances. He did, however, still manage 20 wins and was a positive influence in the Caps' locker room.
All said, the tandem of Thompson and Lindgren have put an end to any doubts in the goal position.
Prior to the tandem, Ilya Samsonov was intended to be the starter when he was brought in, in addition to Henrik Lunquist, who was intended to mentor the Russian keeper. Lundquist, unfortunately, never go to play with the Caps because of a heart condition that forced him to retire.
Washington did try with Vitek Vanecek. He had flashes of brilliance, but ultimately was not the answer.
Finally, as confidence in Samsonov and Vanecek dwindled, president Brian MacLellan brought in Lindgren as a backup, and signed Darcy Kuemper to a big deal. Kuemper was eventually traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
All of these moves cleared the way for Logan Thompson. Now, the Caps enter a new season with a fresh contract for both Thompson and Lindgren, and the goal position looks stable.
| POLL | ||
MAI 27 | 49 ANSWERS Washington's goalie tandem lock down net position Who do you believe should be the number 1 goalie? | ||
| Logan Thompson | 44 | 89.8 % |
| Charlie Lindgren | 5 | 10.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
