Charlie Lindgren, Capitals shut out slumping Penguins

Mar 7, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Ivan Miroshnichenko (63) celebrates his first career NHL goal with the Capitals bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Goaltender Charlie Lindgren stopped all 39 shots he faced Thursday and the visiting Washington Capitals walloped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0.

It was Lindgren’s fourth shutout of the season, the sixth of his career and his first against the Penguins. He started because Darcy Kuemper was ill.

Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano each had a goal and an assist, Tom Wilson, Nick Jensen, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko also scored, Dylan Strome added three assists and Beck Malenstyn two assists for the Capitals, who have alternated wins and losses for seven games.

The Penguins have lost four of five.

Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry gave up four goals on 22 shots before he was pulled in the second period for Alex Nedeljkovic, who stopped five of the seven shots he faced.

The Penguins got a power play 12 seconds into the game, but Wilson spoiled it with a short-handed goal at 1:51 for a 1-0 Washington lead. He batted his own rebound out of the air and inside the right post.

Pittsburgh has given up 10 short-handed goals, second most in the NHL, including five over the past 10 games.

Ovechkin made it 2-0 on a power play 30 seconds into the second period. The puck caromed around a crowded crease before Ovechkin swooped in toward the left post and had a chasm behind Jarry for an easy swipe into the net.

At 3:16 of the second, Jensen scored his first of the season on a second rebound for a 3-0 Capitals edge.

Pittsburgh’s Jansen Harkins fought Malenstyn at 7:18 of the second, and Harkins later left the game.

Trevor van Riemsdyk’s feed from deep set up Lapierre, who spun and fired the puck inside the right post to increase it to 4-0 at 8:50 of the second.

Ovechkin’s secondary assist gave him 1,532 career points, moving him past Paul Coffey and into 15th all time in the NHL.

That goal chased Jarry.

Miroshnichenko, in his fifth NHL game, went backhand to forehand in front and scored his first career goal at 16:21 of the second to up the margin to 5-0.

At 2:13 of the third, Milano scored on a one-timer.

–Field Level Media

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