The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Capitals entered the playoffs as a potential Stanley Cup contender. And they are certainly favored to win this series over Washington. Performances such as the one seen in Game 2 from goalie Logan Thompson show why they are favored.
Thompson has made some incredible saves on Wednesday night. However, none of these saves have been bigger than the one he made in the third period. The Canadiens had a seemingly open net in front of them while down a goal. Montreal forward Jake Evans took the shot, but Thompson denied him.
The Capitals traded for Thompson at the 2024 NHL Draft. He requested a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights in search of more ice time. He received that ice time in the American capital, and he has certainly made the most of it.
Thompson finished the regular season with a .910 save percentage in 42 starts. He also finished with 8.99 Goals Above Average and 24.9 Goals Saved Above Expected this past year. His GSAx ranked eighth in the NHL among goalies. The Capitals puck stopper also finished with 3.5 Wins Above Replacement.
Thompson's save proved to be a major one in the end. The Canadiens pushed for an equalizer in the remaining minutes of the third period. However, they could not solve the Capitals' goalie. Connor McMichael scored an empty net goal with less than a second remaining to cap off a 3-1 win in Game 2.
Washington owns a 2-0 series lead as a result of Wednesday's win. The series certainly isn't over by any means. Montreal has turned in a good account of itself in these first two games. However, the Capitals have a massive advantage as the series turns to the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. And Thompson is a major reason why Washington has won these first two contests.
