Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
NHL players have a reputation for being able to play through some pretty debilitating setbacks. It’s unclear exactly what type of injury Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren suffered toward the end of overtime during Thursday night’s showdown with the Red Wings, but he got a hero’s sendoff after staying in the net for the shootout before his teammates carried him to the locker room after he helped them get the win.
You need to be a special kind of person to be a goalie in the NHL, as there aren’t a ton of people who are going to willingly sign up for a job that requires you to routinely block a puck that can hit triple-digit speeds as it’s rocketing towards the net.
Sure, you may have plenty of padding at your disposal, but that only does so much to keep you safe. It’s possible to get a concussion if you take a puck to the mask, and while it’s unclear if Capitals netminder Logan Thompson was diagnosed with one after getting drilled against the Kraken earlier this week, he was sidelined and listed as day-to-day when Washington faced off against Detroit on Thursday.
Charlie Lindgren ended up getting the nod, but it seems like he may also be out of action for a bit based on what transpired.
Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren had to be carried off the ice after valiantly overcoming an injury to get a win in the shootout
Clay Stevenson was called up from the Hershey Bears to serve as Lindgren’s backup in the wake of Thompson’s injury, and it looked like there was a chance his services might be needed after the starter appeared to tweak something right before the horn sounded at the end of overtime in a 3-3 contest.
Lindgren gets hurt in the final second of OT. Looks like he’s going to stay in for the shootout #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/EbRMbC2i1D
— Capitals Replays (@CapitalsReplays) January 30, 2026
However, it initially seemed like it wasn’t anything too serious, as Lindgren stayed in the net for the shootout. He surrendered goals on the first two attempts, but his teammates were able to answer in both instances before Nic Dowd sealed the deal after Dylan Larkin hit the crossbar on Detroit’s third shot.
We were subsequently treated to quite the scene, as it became pretty evident Lindgren was not in a great place when he was carried off the ice and into the locker room by John Carlson and Justin Sourdif.
Crazy scene for Capitals in Detroit:
1) Logan Thompson not dressed; took a shot off the mask last game
2) Charlie Lindgren injured at the end of OT
3) Stays in for shootout…wins when Larkin hits crossbar
4) Carried off by his teammatespic.twitter.com/Oj7tFeqWBx— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 30, 2026
A clip that was captured in the tunnel showed his teammates were very appreciative of the effort, as they were showering him with praise as he was being hauled away.
I’ve said it before and I’ll emphasize it again: the Capitals LOVE Charlie Lindgren.
He is one of the biggest heart and soul guys in that room, and you can see it in this small snippet here. Huge that he toughed it out.pic.twitter.com/tKsBesIksG
— Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) January 30, 2026
The Capitals haven’t offered any insight into the seriousness of the injury as of this writing, but it seems like they may have a goalie issue on their hands heading into the Winter Olympic break.