Golden Knights’ Thompson Keeps Memory Short In Game 1 Performance
Thompson makes 27 saves in winning effort against Dallas Stars
Jerome Miron - USA TODAY Sports - Golden Knights’ Thompson Keeps Memory Short In Game 1 PerformanceVegas Golden Knights goalie, Logan Thompson made his first career NHL Stanley Cup Playoff start in a 4-3 victory against the Dallas Stars.
Sure, there were goals he would like to have back, but his performance was good enough to give Vegas the Game 1 victory.
“Adversity for a first playoff game goaltender, there it was,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “The building is all of a sudden loud. They got life. They didn't have much before that. So how's he going to respond? He responded very well. He stood in there, like I said, so the team. Team didn't crumble. The team didn't say, ‘Oh, you know what, not our night here they come,’ whatever goes through your head really quickly. We just got back to work. In this case, it turned into a positive building for him. We didn’t have to pay a severe price. Good for Logan for battling.”
Thompson made 27 saves in the Game 1 win, and there were moments that Thompson would like to have back - mainly the third goal which floated underneath his glove.
The results might have been mixed, but it was the ability to bounce back from those goals that stood out to Cassidy in evaluating his goalie.
“It’s what happens after that goal, is it going to become two or three?’ Cassidy said. “You got to be really on your toes this time of year. He was. So was the team. It ends up being a good thing for him to go through. In the long run, it helps the next time he has to face that situation.”
Thompson was 25-14-5 in the regular season with a .908 save percentage. He played well down the stretch to earn the starting nod in Game 1 and will keep the job heading into Game 2.
"I'm definitely happy for him,” Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "Like everybody, he's had adversity this year. He did great for us. The past few weeks he's been unbelievable for us.”
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