Right in the mix for a wild card spot, the Capitals went into Madison Square Garden on April 5 hungry for a victory. Instead, they were on the wrong end of one of the worst blowouts in the NHL this season, losing 8-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was a brutal return to the ice for Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren. He faced 32 shots and allowed eight of them to go in, with New York taking full advantage of the rustiness he was attempting to work through.<\/p>\n Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) takes a shot at Washington Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren (79) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. \/ Danny Wild-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Lindgren hasn\u2019t started a game since March 12, which led to Logan Thompson being between the pipes for 10 consecutive games. The Capitals didn\u2019t do much to help their netminder out in his return.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t just throw \u2018Chucky\u2019 (Lindgren) under the bus like this, especially at this time of the year when we need points, we need to win,\u201d Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas said, via Dan Rosen of NHL.com<\/a>. \u201cWe always have been talking about how it doesn\u2019t matter how it looks, but it can\u2019t look like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Tied 1-1 after the first period, the Rangers went on an offensive onslaught in the second. They scored five goals in the period, which matched a season high for a single period, overwhelming Washington with constant action in front of the crease and capitalizing on power play situations.<\/p>\n Multiple goals were scored on deflections, as Lindgren didn\u2019t have much of a chance to slow down New York on some of their scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n COOLS FIRST CAREER HATTY<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde2\ud83e\udde2\ud83e\udde2 pic.twitter.com\/mr3kRHa0vt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Will Cuylle recorded a hat trick in the game, the second player in as many games for the Rangers to do so<\/a>. In their 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, it was Gabe Perreault<\/a> who lit the lamp three times.<\/p>\n Alas, big scoring nights against Lindgren have been far too commonplace for the Capitals\u2019 liking this season. This is the second time he has given up at least seven goals in a game, and he has surrendered at least three goals in 16 out of his 21 starts this season.<\/p>\n To put into perspective how shaky his performance has been, his opposing goalie in net, Igor Shesterkin, has allowed 3+ goals 23 times in 49 starts.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n