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Capitals Goalie Falling Back to Earth

The Washington Capitals' top goaltender has struggled over the past few days.

Jon Alfano

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) stops a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) stops a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes. / James Guillory-Imagn Images
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Logan Thompson has been a revelation in net for the Washington Capitals this season, as he's played like one of the best goaltenders in the league and helped his new team rise to the top of the Easern Conference.

While Thompson has played exceptionally well for most of the season, that hasn't been the case over the past few days.

In his past two games, Thompson has seen his season save percentage dip from an impressive .915 to .910. He stopped just 15 of the 22 shots he faced in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, then stopped nine of 12 shots in a 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Even worse, Thompson suffered an upper-body injury early against Carolina. Head coach Spencer Carbery didn't provide much of an update, only revealing that Thompson will be re-evaluated once the team returns to Washington.

Charlie Lindgren, who started Tuesday's win over the Boston Bruins, stopped 17 of 19 shots he faced in relief.

The Capitals obviously hope that Thompson will be ready to go when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin later this month. If/when he does return, though, they'll need him to play more like himself.

Thompson, whom the Capitals acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights during the offseason, was a potential Vezina finalist before this recent cold streak. He was also one of the main reasons for the Capitals' defensive success. They only allowed five goals six times in their first 72 games, but have now done so twice in their past three games, with the aforementioned loss to Buffalo being their first time allowing more than five goals.

When at his best, Thompson can be one of the best goalies in the league. He showed that throughout the season, and earned a six-year, $35.1 million extension from Washington in January.

Hopefully for the Capitals, he'll return to form upon his return from injury.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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