Caps’ Lindgren named NHL’s First Star of the Week originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The NHL named Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren its First Star of the Week for the period ending Sunday, recognizing a dominant four-game stretch for the 28-year-old that saw him go 4-0-0 with a .949 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average.

After starting goalie Darcy Kuemper went down with an upper-body injury on Dec. 3, Lindgren stepped up and led the Capitals to a four-game winning streak — their longest such streak this season. It’s the first time Lindgren has received the weekly honor in his career.

Washington signed Lindgren to a three-year, $3.3 million deal last offseason after he impressed in a sample size with the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22. Lindgren had only once eclipsed 10 starts in a season, but he’s already reached that number with the Capitals while setting a new career high by clinching his sixth win of the year in their 5-2 rout of the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

Lindgren joined Second Star, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (5 goals, 2 assists), and Third Star, Toronto Maple Leafs center William Nylander (3 goals, 4 assists), as the NHL’s weekly award winners. He’s the first Capitals player to receive the honor this season with the last being defenseman John Carlson, who was a Second Star in April 2022. Ilya Samsonov was their last goaltender to win it, earning a Second Star in November 2021.

On the season, Lindgren is 6-3-2 with a .910 save percentage and 2.79 goals against average in 12 appearances. With Kuemper eligible to return from Injured Reserve at any time, the Capitals have not yet announced who will start in net Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.