📸: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery wouldn’t confirm it, but Logan Thompson appears to be the Washington Capitals’ likely starter in net for Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Thompson was the first of the Capitals’ three goalies to make his way off the ice at the team’s morning skate, typically an indicator of who’s starting later that night. If he does play, he’ll mind the crease for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on April 2 — 19 days ago.
Carbery, who previously refused to publicly name his Game 1 playoff starter in the days prior, didn’t share any more insight after the skate.
“What [time] do they do warmup at? 6:30? You’ll find out then,” the Caps’ second-year head coach said.
Logan Thompson is the first goalie off the ice this morning.
— Katie Adler (@katieEadler) April 21, 2025
Carbery also wouldn’t confirm that Thompson is medically cleared to play despite already taking shots from his teammates during practice, deferring to Capitals head athletic trainer Jason Serbus.
“That would be a Serbs question,” he said. “I don’t even know if — yeah, that’s a Serbs question.”
Charlie Lindgren, who appears to be the likely backup, attempted to keep things unclear telling NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that “I might be playing” and that the two goalies have differing preferences for how long they stay on the ice during morning skates.
Thompson missed the season’s final seven games after getting the bulk of the starts from Carbery in March. The 28-year-old backstop finished the regular season with a 31-6-6 record, a 2.49 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and two shutouts. Per MoneyPuck, Thompson recorded the third-most goals saved above expected (26) in the NHL.
In his 98:46 of ice time in two appearances against the Canadiens this season, Thompson went 1-0-1 and stopped 40 of the 45 shots he faced. The two games are the only two he played against Montreal in his four-season NHL career.
Thompson played his first four career playoff games with the Vegas Golden Knights last year, going 2-2 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Head coach Bruce Cassidy replaced him in net for Game 5 in the team’s series against the Dallas Stars with Adin Hill, who eventually took the loss for Vegas in Game 7.
If Thompson were to start Game 1, Charlie Lindgren would serve as his backup after making five of the last seven starts for the Capitals down the stretch. Clay Stevenson is also still with the club as the Hershey Bears earned a first-round playoff bye in the AHL.
