A surprise move by the team that is in the midst of its Stanley Cup defense.
In the lead-up to their first-round opener against the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy revealed that Logan Thompson will be the team’s starter in net on Monday night.
It will be Thompson’s first-ever start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While the right-handed catching goaltender had been playing well near the end of the regular season, the move might seem out of left field to some. Thompson watched Adin Hill and company went on to clinch the Golden Knights’ first Stanley Cup.
You can argue which goaltender had the better numbers overall, but Thompson had played the majority of the games this season with Hill having missed an extended period of time due to injury. In 35 starts, Hill went 19-12-2 with a 2.71 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage a two shutouts.
In 46 appearances, Thompson posted a 25-14-5 record with a 2.70 GAA, a .908 SV%, and one shutout.
Thompson has definitely earned the opportunity with his play down the stretch, helping Vegas secure the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. He won eight of his last 10 starts, giving up over three goals just twice during that span.
Hill had struggled over the last month, going 2-4 in his final six appearances of the regular season. His inability to stay in the lineup has given Thompson the opportunity to step into the spotlight in his third NHL season.
It was part of a busy day of announcements for the Golden Knights. It was announced that Mark Stone, William Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo, who had been out of the lineup with various injuries, were good to go for Game 1.
The Stars and Golden Knights will meet up to open their series at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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