HENDERSON, Nev. — Goaltender Carl Lindbom is having an eye-opening rookie season for the AHL’s Silver Knights.
Through 24 games, the Golden Knights’ 2021 draft pick is 13-9-1 with a 2.64 goals-against average to accompany a .916 save percentage.
“As I’ve said, I think our game is in a good spot right now,” said Lindbom, after stopping 31 of 32 shots on goal, including 13 of 13 in the third period to secure a 2-1 Silver Knights victory over Coachella on Wednesday. “We’re winning games, we’re in every game, even if we lose we’re right there. So our game is feeling good right now, for sure.”
And if the Silver Knights are feeling good, Lindbom must be feeling great.
One need only take a gander at his last 11 appearances, a stretch the Golden Knights should be excited about if Lindbom is part of the organization’s future plan between the pipes.
The 21-year-old from Stockholm has won seven straight starts and is on a 10-1 win streak over his last 11 appearances, with a 2.15 GAA and .921 save percentage.
“I feel like my game’s feeling good right now,” Lindbom told The Hockey News during a recent 1-on-1 chat. “I think in the beginning of the season, it’s a little bit getting used to the smaller ice, but right now it’s feeling good.
“Working hard every day and I think we’re playing pretty good. So obviously results come from that.”
Lindbom has obviously made the transition from an Olympic ice sheet to a North American rink, the difference being anywhere from 12-15 feet width-wise, but says he’s not taking his success for granted and certainly isn’t extinct from improving his overall game.
“I believe (I need work with) a little bit of everything,” Lindbom said. “I believe there are no real flaws in my game. I know that I can be better at handling the puck behind the net, still getting used to that since the rink is so much smaller, you get involved a lot more.
“But I think just developing and playing games and getting used to the game over here is gonna be good for my development.”
Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig said he’s become appreciative of Lindbom’s work ethic and competitiveness, something that becomes contagious for the skaters in front of him.
“I think for him individually, it’s been a very good season,” Craig said. “It’s not over yet. For us, we’ve really been, I guess the word is, not surprised. But you didn’t know how a guy from Europe was going to come over and adjust to the pro game. We heard he’s a competitor. We saw that starting in rookie camp, and he’s been everything with that. And I think the one thing for us is his hockey IQ, how he reads plays. Everyone says, ‘Well he’s got his size,’ but he’s square to the puck, the rebound control. He’s become a very good goalie for us, and a goalie that our team trusts.”
Craig said goalie coach Freddie Brathwaite works extensively with each goaltender, including Lindbom, on not just fundamentals but specific things each netminder needs to hone in on.
“We’re not playing every second day, like the NHL,” Craig said. “So there’s certain things that between the organization (and) Freddie, that they work with Carl on. And I think everybody talks about the size of the rink, the adjustment, all that kind of stuff, the traffic that’s here, maybe with the smaller rink, those have been adjustments.
“And he’s continued to work through those. It’s building your game the same way a forward would build their game, the same way a defenseman builds their game. Those are things that I think you identify. And going back to Carl, he’s continuing to build his game as a goalie, and we’re reaping the benefits of it.”
Part of Lindbom’s on-ice education, lending to his hockey IQ, was learning from losses in Sweden, especially after tending the net in a series Färjestad BK was swept.
“I mainly used it as fuel,” Lindbom said. “We had a great year last year, a great team back in Sweden. We were first in the regular season, and then we got swept in the playoffs by a really good playoff team. But I feel like we didn’t really adapt to playoff hockey as a team, and that’s obviously a big learning experience for me.”
Now, as part of an eight-year-old organization that has done nothing but cultivate winning and learning to play in the postseason since its inception into the NHL, Lindbom’s patience has him in a good headspace, while his confidence in how the Golden Knights are bringing him along remains strong.
“When you’re just starting off as a pro, I think you’re eager to get to the next level and you’re almost a little bit stressed to get to that next level,” Lindbom said. “But right now, I’m just focused on the next day (and) on the next game. Just doing my thing, working hard, and I think I’ll get to where I want to go if I do that.
“Obviously, (this is an) awesome organization that takes care of us and everything really well. Really professional organization. I know they’ve got a plan for me, and they’re taking care of their part. It’s just up to me to perform and develop and that’s the only thing I can do. And hopefully, I’ll be playing in Vegas sometime.
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