Ryan Lindgren could face brother Charlie when Rangers play Capitals
Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren sets before a faceoff against the Devils in the third period of an NHL game at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Ryan Lindgren’s Christmas wish likely will be to play against his brother Charlie when the Rangers face the Washington Capitals in their first game after the NHL’s Christmas break on Dec. 27.
Charlie Lindgren, the backup goaltender for the Capitals, has been thrust into a starting role recently because Washington’s No. 1 goalie, Darcy Kuemper, has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 3.
Charlie Lindgren has been racking up wins. He started six games in a row and won the first five before taking a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
“He’s been playing well, [and] their team has been playing well too, so it’s been good for him,’’ Ryan Lindgren said.
After the Rangers play their final pre-Christmas game against the Islanders on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, Ryan Lindgren will head home to Minneapolis to spend the holidays with his brother and their parents. Charlie will join them after Washington’s last game Friday.
Then, on the day after Christmas, the brothers will fly together to New York and Charlie will stay at his younger brother’s apartment in Manhattan for a night before facing his team on the 27th.
Charlie is older than Ryan by a little more than four years. He will turn 29 on Monday and Ryan will be 25 in February. If Charlie plays against the Rangers on the 27th, it will be the first time the brothers have matched up in the NHL. They have faced each other in the minor leagues.
“I played him twice. When I was at Hartford, he was in Laval [Quebec],’’ Ryan said. “But you know, I never put one by him. I had a pretty good look one of the games, but I missed the net or something. Not great.’’
While Charlie Lindgren has put together a fine season for Washington (7-4-2, 2.76 goals-against average, .910 save percentage), the odds appear to be against him starting against the Rangers.
Kuemper, who is on injured reserve, has been participating at morning skates and optional practices the past week and seems poised to return to action soon.
It probably would be just as well if Charlie doesn’t start against the Rangers after Christmas. Ryan said their parents can’t make it to the Garden for the game.
Kravtsov still trying to find his way
Vitali Kravtsov stayed in the lineup for a second straight game Saturday against the Flyers after sitting out the previous three games. He had played four straight games before that after missing eight straight, the last six as a healthy scratch.
So it’s been a difficult season for the 22-year-old.
“I just try to not think about it, but still, like sometimes when you lay in the bed, you think about it,’’ Kravtsov said. “It’s hard mentally, but a lot of guys help me, and it is what it is.’’
Saturday’s game was the 11th of the season for Kravtsov, who did miss a bunch of games early because of an assortment of injuries and being a healthy scratch for others. He had one goal and one assist and had looked fine in the last six or seven games he had played.
Coach Gerard Gallant said Friday that he doesn’t see Kravtsov as a fourth-line player style-wise. Gallant said he hopes to try to spot Kravtsov on one of the top three lines for a shift or two during games if the situation allowed.
Gallant often has talked about how well he thinks his fourth line of Sammy Blais, Jonny Brodzinski and Julien Gauthier has played. He made the point of saying that when Blais sat out Thursday’s game against Toronto, it was only because the coach felt the need to get Kravtsov into a game. On Saturday, Blais was back in and Gauthier sat out.
Rotating wingers in and out of the fourth line doesn’t seem like a viable long-term solution to get Kravtsov, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 draft, the ice time he needs to establish himself and develop as an NHL player.
Asked about being in and out of the lineup, Kravtsov said he is trying to be ready to play whenever he gets a chance. While being careful in choosing his words, he said it’s hard to do something big when one is in that situation.
It’s difficult to play when you’re skating on eggshells and afraid to make a mistake.
“Sometimes you don’t have that confidence when you don’t play,’’ he said. “[When you do play], you sometimes try to play like — how do you say? — not that risky. So don’t lose the puck.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.