PHI @ MTL: Lindgren, Juulsen shine in shootout loss to Flyers

MONTREAL - Shortly before Monday night's game got underway, general manager Marc Bergevin singled out the likes of Charlie Lindgren and Noah Juulsen, among others, as key youngsters for the Canadiens going forward.

And, the pair definitely didn't disappoint against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre, even if Claude Julien's contingent came out on the wrong side of the scoresheet in a 1-0 loss.
In his first start with the big club since last November, Lindgren turned aside 33 shots en route to posting the second shutout of his young NHL career.
"It felt really good, right from puck drop. I think I made a couple of saves early and it got me into the game and I felt kind of in the zone," said Lindgren, who was recalled from the AHL's Laval Rocket on an emergency basis last Wednesday once Carey Price was sidelined with a concussion. "Every time I'm up here, I want to take advantage of my opportunities and prove myself. That's my mindset. Every time I'm in the cage, I just want to give the team the best chance to win."

The 24-year-old Lakeville, MN native did just that with several highlight-reel stops, including making an absolutely unbelievable save off Flyers captain Claude Giroux as time was winding down in the extra frame to preserve his shutout bid.
"That was sweet," said Lindgren with a smile, after denying the sniper in close. "I think I re-directed that one wide and then it came back around. It was just a classic effort save and I just tried to get a piece of it, so luckily I did."
Captain Max Pacioretty couldn't say enough good things about Lindgren's latest effort.
"I'm definitely impressed, but I'm not surprised. He's a guy that's always come up here and battled. We often talk about when him and Nemo [Antti Niemi] step in, they kind of give us that spark. Charlie's hard work definitely gave us a spark," praised Pacioretty. "He made some phenomenal saves and he battled very hard and gave us a chance to win the game in the shootout. You've got to give him credit for getting us that far."

Having played with Lindgren for an extended period time in Laval this season, Juulsen isn't at all surprised, either.
"That's what he does," said Juulsen, after watching Lindgren turn aside the likes of Giroux, Jordan Weal and Travis Konecny in the shootout. "He's a great goaltender. He's solid."
"Solid" might just be the best way to describe the way Juulsen himself has gone about his business in his first three NHL appearances.
The 20-year-old defenseman logged another 20:11 of ice time against the Flyers and continued to open plenty of eyes in the process.
"We haven't had a chance to see Juuls that much this year. I think he would have had a shot at making it from the start, but he hurt his foot. He came in here and played his game, not overthinking it. I think he's making passes when the passes are there. He shoots when the opportunity's there and he's making smart reads," said fellow WHL grad, Brendan Gallagher. "He's been playing against some of the best players in the world and he's held his own. I think that's a very positive thing to see."

Juulsen credits veteran partner Karl Alzner for helping him along early.
"Playing with Alzner, he talks to me a whole lot out there. He showed me a lot, helped me with little plays here and there that will make us more successful," explained Juulsen, the Canadiens' first-round pick - 26th overall - in 2015. "After every shift, he says "Good job" and gives me a little hint here and there. He's been great."
And, the fellow young gun he was tasked with defending on Monday night is proud to see him succeeding.
"The composure that kid has for his age is pretty incredible," concluded Lindgren. "He stepped right in and hasn't looked out of place at all."