Logan Thompson had an interesting offseason this year. First, he was traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round NHL Draft pick and a 2025 third-round NHL Draft pick. So what did the netminder do?
Well, he finished his autograph session, to the delight of thousands of hockey fans. The Capitals goaltender stuck around and hung out with Golden Knights fans, making him an all-around cool guy. That's what posting a GAA of 2.67 and a save percentage of .912 in four seasons with the team gets you.
Therefore, Sunday won't be about Alexander Ovechkin's pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. Instead, it'll be about Thompson making his long-awaited return to T-Mobile Arena. How will fans react to the goaltender coming back with his new team? Will he get the start in net? Fans will ask those questions as they flood Toshiba Plaza before Sunday's big matchup.
Still, two points are on the line and the Golden Knights must continue pushing for another Stanley Cup. The same can be said for the Capitals, who want to fend off the rumors of being too old.
"They can't continue winning like this!"
"Alex Ovechkin must be a fossil!"
Yet, Ovechkin is still going strong, even with a heavy diet of vodka and beef stroganoff. But Las Vegas will pay attention to the netminder, specifically for his contributions to the OG franchise. Here's a quick refresher on what made the goaltender tick and how they can attack him.
The gameplan to attack Logan Thompson
Let's say Logan Thompson is in net for the Washington Capitals tonight. The former Vegas Golden Knights star faces his former team on Sunday, setting up a colossal matchup between two dominant teams. The Golden Knights aren't forgetting the beatdown they received in the "Nation's Capital" on October 15.
What must the home team do to get one up on the Capitals? What style does he bring to his new club? For starters, he's an athletic netminder. Thompson is known for going all-out whenever he's in the crease, doing whatever it takes to win a game for his team. That includes his Game 3 performance in last season's Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars.
Despite losing the game, Thompson had 43 saves, good for a save percentage of .935. He played strong atop the crease and made dynamic saves throughout the game. His big frame also helped, standing at 6'4" and weighing 201 lbs. It's no wonder he's 7-0-1 to start the season.
However, his other stats have been... decent. A save percentage of .906 and a GAA of 2.71 doesn't stand out to many people. In fact, he had a GAA of 3.74 and stopped 88.2% of his shots in Wednesday's overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Consistency is key
The Vegas Golden Knights have scored the second-most goals per game (4.12) to start the season entering Sunday. The one team ahead of them? You guessed it. The Washington Capitals with 4.19 goals per game.
Sunday's matchup is expected to be a high-scoring affair, with both sides potentially putting up big numbers. That means learning from Friday's contest against the Utah Hockey Club and controlling the neutral zone throughout the game. The Golden Knights can generate countless offensive opportunities, cracking whoever starts.
That could be Logan Thompson, who wants another victory against his former team. Of course, the Golden Knights must dictate the pace early and spend as much neutral zone time as they can. Otherwise, it'll be the revenge of their former netminder, who'll prove he's thriving without the goaltender-friendly system in front of him.