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Montreal Canadiens shake up their goaltending and recall Charlie Lindgren

By Omar L |
LAVAL, QC - MARCH 09: Goaltender Charlie Lindgren #35 of the Laval Rocket reacts after allowing a goal in the first period against the Utica Comets during the AHL game at Place Bell on March 9, 2019 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the The Utica Comets 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
LAVAL, QC - MARCH 09: Goaltender Charlie Lindgren #35 of the Laval Rocket reacts after allowing a goal in the first period against the Utica Comets during the AHL game at Place Bell on March 9, 2019 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The Laval Rocket defeated the The Utica Comets 5-3. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Charlie Lindgren up from the Laval Rocket to help bolster the team’s goaltending down the stretch.

With goaltending being a point of concern for the Montreal Canadiens, at least as far as the backup position goes, having some kind of move take place wasn’t too surprising. The Habs answered that call as the team announced the recalling of goaltender Charlie Lindgren from the Laval Rocket.

Here are one of the benefits of the trade deadline passing. Not only are all the distractions and buzz from potential trades long gone, but there is no longer any roster restrictions for any given club allowing the Habs to add a third goaltender to their team if they wish to.

It’s unlikely Montreal made the call to have Lindgren sit and watch. The 25-year-old spent a good amount of time with the Canadiens last season and could’ve possibly been the backup if not for Antti Niemi‘s strong performance. Lindgren started the year in the AHL and has battled through injuries and another tough run in Laval.

He’s started in 37 games and has a .884 save percentage, but his numbers in the minors aren’t indicative of his play. Lindgren had poor numbers before joining the Montreal Canadiens last season as well but had a .908 save percentage across 14 games including two shutouts.

This could be an opportunity to see if Lindgren still has the potential many have seen in him since he joined the organization. Niemi isn’t getting the job done, and the Habs can’t afford to start Carey Price in every single one of their remaining games.

They need someone that they can trust to man the net when Price can’t, given how crucial picking up points will be for the rest of the season. If Lindgren can answer the bell, it’ll be a good step in the right direction as he will most likely back up Price long-term starting next season. On the other hand, this bit of internal competition could snap Niemi back into shape if the Habs ever decide to go back to him.

Next. The Road to the Playoffs. dark

The Montreal Canadiens are in the end game now, and it’ll be interesting to see how many starts Lindgren gets.

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