Logan Thompson will make his 50th appearance as a member of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. And before he even takes the ice against the Dallas Stars, the 28-year-old backstop already owns the franchise record for most wins in their first 50 games with the team.
Per Capitals PR, Thompson comes into the contest with 36 wins, already four more than the next closest netminder, Ilya Samsonov, who sits second with 32
Most wins through 50 games with the Capitals
| Goaltender | GP | W | L | T | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Thompson | 49 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| Ilya Samsonov | 50 | 32 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Braden Holtby | 50 | 31 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| Jose Theodore | 50 | 28 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| Semyon Varlamov | 50 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Jim Carey | 50 | 27 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Michal Neuvirth | 50 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| Bob Mason | 50 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 0 |
Not only that, Thompson’s 36 wins since the start of last season rank fifth-best in the NHL, with only Connor Hellebuyck (51), Jake Oettinger (40), Andrei Vasilevskiy (39), and Sergei Bobrovsky (38) having more. All four of those goaltenders have also played in at least 13 more games than Thompson.
Per MoneyPuck, through Thompson’s 49 starts with the Capitals, he has saved 33.5 more goals than expected. The mark is the best among the above Capitals goaltenders at the start of their stints with the club since the stat was first tracked (2008-09), including Semyon Varlamov (13) and Braden Holtby (11).
In six starts this fall, Thompson has a record of 5-1-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. In leaguewide rankings among goalies with at least five games played, he’s second in wins, first in goals-against average, second in save percentage, fourth in goals saved above expected (7.5), and is one of only five goalies with an assist so far this season.
Thompson’s last start was against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday, when he made 34 saves on 35 shots and recorded his second-ever point with the Capitals, an assist on a Justin Sourdif goal. According to MoneyPuck, Thompson stopped an incredible four more goals than expected as he stole a win for the Caps.
In his career, Thompson has made three prior starts against the Dallas Stars, although none as a member of the Capitals. In those three games while a member of the Golden Knights, he posted a 1-1-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
