Charlie Lindgren played most of the April 2 game in Carolina where Logan Thompson was injured and started five of the Caps’ six games since, a lot more work than either he or Thompson had seen consecutively in a season where the two had shared about a 60/40 load in net.
Thompson is back on the ice skating, but if he’s unable to go in Thursday’s season finale with Pittsburgh, could or should the Caps feel comfortable turning to him in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series?
Being a former Caps goalie himself, as well as a current studio analyst for Monumental, Johnson intimately understands all sides of the issue, but as he also told Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay, even if Thompson's early-season heater was masking some Caps defensive issues that are coming to light now, the offense is so special that he's not worried at all.
“Columbus is hot, and if they face them, it could be a little bit of a nail biter; it would be in the back of your mind that you just lost two games by a combined 11-1,” Johnson said, “but I think that the Capitals are a fantastic team and know exactly what they can do, and if they play with emotion and a chip on their shoulder, I don't think there's a team that can beat them. It's when they kind of sit back and get on their heels and kind of watch the game is when teams get all over them.”
Listen to Johnson’s entire visit with BMitch & Finlay above!