Yahoo Sports Charlie Lindgren Reflects On Marc-Andre Fleury's Impact As Capitals Face Wild: 'One Of The Best Goalies & Humans Of All Time'
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Making his NHL dream a reality was no easy feat for Charlie Lindgren, an undrafted netminder who had to prove himself and put in the work time and time again. And one name that inspired him along the way was no other than the goalie he'll face on Thursday as the Washington Capitals take on the Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury.
As the two netminders face each other for what could be Fleury's final outing against the longtime rival Capitals, Lindgren was adamant as he spoke about the role Fleury played in his development on and off the ice.
"He's going to go down as one of the greats of all time. I've had the pleasure of playing him a couple different times... to say an amazing career is an understatement. He's been unbelievable," Lindgren told The Hockey News.
Fleury, the 2003 first-overall pick, set the example for Lindgren and up-and-coming netminders, that in order to succeed at the highest level, you had to put the work in.
All the while, his play and goaltending style, which doesn't always go by the book, impressed a rising Lindgren, who incorporated the same methods into his game.
"I thoroughly enjoy watching him, just because he's not like the robotic type. He's the guy that is in there competing his butt off and he's making saves in any way possible," Lindgren said. "You think about the one against Detroit where time is ticking down to win the Stanley Cup and he makes a diving save with time running out. It would've been a goal if it went in because there's still a little bit of time left on the clock. I just love his competitive spirit. He's made so many amazing saves that we just will go down in history and be on highlight-reels for the end of time."
Most importantly, though, Fleury is also representative of what it means to be the perfect teammate, something Lindgren tries to carry with him on and off the ice.
"Talking to the guys like (Dylan) Strome or talking to a few guys that have played with him, have been in the room with him, a lot of guys say he's their favorite teammate of all time," Lindgren said. "Pretty cool that he's one of the best goalies of all time and on top of that, he's one of the best humans of all time, too."
Washington hosts Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.
