ARLINGTON, VA — Logan Thompson will get the nod in net as the Washington Capitals face the reigning Stanley Cup Champions at home. Though Thompson did not participate in the Capitals’ optional morning skate, head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed that Thompson will play against the Florida Panthers Tuesday night, starting for a second-straight game.
“Logan will go tonight,” Carbery said.
Carbery has largely stuck to an alternating rotation between Thompson and Charlie Lindgren over the first two thirds of the season. Excluding games Lindgren missed to injury, has so far played consecutive games just twice: one pair of games in November set him up to play against his former Vegas Golden Knights, while a pair in January came when Lindgren first returned from injury after Thompson had notched back-to-back shutouts.
Asked why he opted to start Thompson against the Panthers, Carbery said the decision was “just a game-by-game thing.”
“Just Florida, home, Logan, how he’s played, and (we) decided as a staff that he’ll start tonight,” he said.
Per the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno, Thompson will play opposite Sergei Bobrovsky on Tuesday.
Thompson was in net when the Capitals last faced the Panthers, playing them in Sunrise on November 25. He stopped 20 of 21 shots that night on the way to a 4-1 win.
More recently, Thompson put up his best month of the season in January, more than rising to the occasion when Lindgren missed time with an upper-body injury. In nine games played, Thompson had a .947 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average—per MoneyPuck, he saved 13.40 goals above expected over that span. He also recorded back-to-back shutouts and was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Month.
Thompson’s strong play this season paid off handsomely last week, when he inked a six-year extension in Washington worth $5.85 million per season.
“(I) couldn’t be more happy that I ended up with this organization,” Thompson said after signing the deal. “Just really thankful for my time here.”
