CALGARY – Logan Thompson delivered an outstanding performance with 32 saves, leading the Washington Capitals to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
Thompson, who recently signed a six-year, $35.1 million contract ($5.85 million AAV) with Washington, has been in top form, securing six consecutive wins and extending his unbeaten streak in regulation to 11 games. Since November 25, he has posted an impressive 15-1-2 record with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.
"I feel great right now," said Thompson, a Calgary native. "My body has held up all season, and I’ve been confident in every game. Credit goes to our team for making my job easier. Even when facing a high volume of shots, as long as I can see them, I can stop them."
Capitals' Offense Steps Up
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dylan Strome, and Aliaksei Protas found the back of the net for Washington (34-11-5), which has now won seven of its last eight games while limiting opponents to two or fewer goals in each contest.
"That reflects our discipline and structure as a team," Thompson noted. "When we stick to our systems, we make teams work hard for their chances."
Blake Coleman scored the lone goal for Calgary, while goaltender Dustin Wolf made 20 saves for the Flames (24-18-7), who have now lost two consecutive games following a three-game win streak.
Decisive Moments in the Game
Dubois gave the Capitals an early lead just 1:51 into the first period, capitalizing on a turnover from MacKenzie Weegar and firing a wrist shot past Wolf.
"Scoring first always gives you an edge," Dubois said. "It’s about setting the tone early, but there’s a lot of hockey left after that, and we did well to hold onto our lead."
Calgary responded at 12:17 of the second period when Coleman deflected a Tyson Barrie shot past Thompson’s blocker during a power play created by Dubois’ minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
However, Strome put Washington back ahead at 15:12 of the period. During a 5-on-3 power play, he lifted a backhand shot over Wolf’s glove, taking advantage of a penalty assessed to Coleman for closing his hand on the puck.
"It was an unfortunate mistake," Coleman admitted. "I instinctively caught the puck, and that put us at a disadvantage. Giving a team with a strong power play a 5-on-3 opportunity is costly."
Late in the third period, Protas sealed the victory with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 17:35, firing a shot past Wolf’s blocker.
"We should have at least taken one point," said Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. "I thought we outplayed them 5-on-5, but they showed why they are among the league’s top teams. They find ways to win, and that’s something we can learn from."
Game Notes:
- Washington improved to 22-1-1 when leading after two periods and 19-5-3 when scoring first.
- The Capitals have allowed the fewest third-period goals in the NHL (30).
- Forward Andrew Mangiapane played his first game in Calgary since being traded to Washington on June 27. He recorded one shot and two hits in 13:18 of ice time.
- Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin played his 1,585th NHL game, surpassing Mike Modano for the eighth-most games with a single franchise in NHL history.
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