ARLINGTON, V.A. — On April 2, in a game between the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, Logan Thompson was left hurting in the first period after taking a puck up high and then some contact in the crease. He tried to stay in, but something was just off.

He gave up three goals on 12 shots, and ultimately, ended up leaving the game, choosing to go with his gut rather than endure whatever was going on.

"When you're not feeling right, I think you got to listen to your body, and I think that I tried to stay around as long as I could, but it just wasn't right," Thompson said.

It was the first time all season he'd been relieved in net, and the upper-body injury he'd suffered would lead to weeks on the sidelines going into the most important time of year. He not only missed Alex Ovechkin passing Wayne Gretzky for the NHL's all-time goals record, but also sat out for the rest of the regular season, not getting any reps as the team struggled without their starting netminder.

For Thompson, though, it was the only path forward, especially if he wanted to be ready for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"It was a tough decision to take some time away, but like I said, if your body’s not 100 percent... being a goalie, it makes things tough on the team, and I don’t think I was doing the guys any favors,' Thompson said. "It sucked... missed being in this dressing room and putting on the jersey every night.”

The 28-year-old ultimately made the right choice, as he was able to recover fully and return for Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens. Thompson impressed and did exactly what the team expected, putting on a show and showing poise and confidence in the crease. He finished with 33 saves on 35 shots to win his Capitals postseason debut.

For Thompson, the opportunity means quite a bit, especially since he's getting the chance he didn't get with the Vegas Golden Knights just a season ago.

"It's exciting, I love playoff hockey. Last year, I thought I played well and did everything I could to prove that I could play playoffs and give that team a chance to win, and unfortunately, they didn’t see it that way," Thompson said. "So I’m happy to get another crack at it here and just real excited and I’m thankful for the opportunity and not going to take it for granted.”

Alexeyev On Aftermath Of High Stick, Losing 3 Teeth & Slotting In For Playoffs: 'It's Hockey, It Happens' ARLINGTON, V.A. — It happened in a matter of seconds. Alex Alexyev and Jake Evans were both going for the puck in the waning minutes of Game 1 between the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens when Evans went to clear the puck. He missed, and on the follow-through, hit Alexeyev in the mouth.

As he continues his journey and starts Game 2, Thompson remains confident in his ability and says the team's faith in him also adds a lot of motivation.

"I always had a belief in myself and just needed a team to take a chance on me, and I’m really thankful that Washington did," Thompson said. "Like I said, I’m not going to take it for granted. I’m going to keep working hard and pushing myself to be better every day.”