Latest news with #LoganThompson
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Capitals Coach's Blunt Take on Alex Ovechkin's Possible Retirement
The Washington Capitals were eliminated from the postseason Thursday night after a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 at Capital One Arena. The defeat ended a strong season that saw Washington top the Eastern Conference with 111 points, led by a strong combination of veterans and a new wave of young players. Advertisement Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov scored the game-winner with 1:59 left in regulation after receiving a pass from Sean Walker on a rush play. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson said he lost sight of the puck before Svechnikov's shot slipped through, taking the blame for the Game 5 loss. Washington tied the game in the first period on a goal from Anthony Beauvillier, but it was the last goal the team scored in the series. Seth Jarvis added an empty-netter for Carolina in the final seconds. Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who turned 39 last September, scored once in five games during the series. 'I know this series, the stats won't be flattering,' Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said about Ovechkin's play. 'I thought 'O' was great in playoffs.' Advertisement Carbery was asked about a potential early retirement by Ovechkin following another early postseason ending after last season's first-round exit. 'My understanding is he's under contract," Carbery said. "So he'll be back next year.' Ovechkin is under contract through the end of the 2025-26 season as part of a five-year, $47.5 million extension signed in 2021. Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) kneels on the ice after a stoppage in play against the Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Burke-Imagn Images Ovechkin dismissed the idea of retiring before completing his contract during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show last month. 'I'm not retiring,' Ovechkin said. 'I have one more year, and we'll see what's gonna happen. "I love being around the boys, and as long as I can, I will try to stick around and put my great body in the NHL." Advertisement Ovechkin finished the playoffs with five goals in 10 games, with most of his production coming during the opening-round victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Related: NHL's Immediate Reaction to Alex Ovechkin's Historic Playoff Milestone Related: Capitals' Tom Wilson Pulls Off Bizarre Move in Loss to Hurricanes
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Logan Thompson Assigns Blame for Capitals' Elimination
The Washington Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday night following a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5. For Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, the outcome was especially difficult to take. The netminder was visibly affected while addressing the media after the game, discussing what went wrong on Thursday. Advertisement The decisive moment came with 1:59 left in the third period, when Andrei Svechnikov beat Thompson from a sharp angle on a give-and-go with Sean Walker. 'It was a 3-on-2, I think,' Thompson said. 'And it kicked out to my left; I just lost sight of it for a second. There were bodies coming in between, and it's my job to find a lane and get my eyes on it. "He sifted it through, and it's a terrible goal to give up to end the season, and I've got to wear that," Thompson said. "I'm an adult, and that's on me. I have to be better.' Thompson stopped 18 of 20 shots in the game but acknowledged both goals allowed were avoidable. Advertisement "A couple of close games. I think it could've gone the other way," Thompson said. "Credit to Freddie Andersen. I thought he was the better goalie this series. "I think I could've been better and made a couple of saves in Raleigh and definitely tonight." Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) goes past the fans on his way to the warmups before a game against the Carolina Guillory-Imagn Images Thompson's postseason run finished with a .917 save percentage through 10 games, although his numbers dropped below that bar in the last three games of the series against the Hurricanes. In those three most recent outings, Thompson topped at a .900 SV%, allowing at least two goals in each of those contests. "It stings. It sucks," Thompson said. "Credit to them. It's a good team over there. They're well-coached." Advertisement The Hurricanes will face the winner of the series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Related: Capitals Coach's Blunt Take on Alex Ovechkin's Possible Retirement Related: Maple Leafs Fans' Behavior Toward Brad Marchand Sparks Reactions
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
TNT Blackout During Capitals-Canadiens Game 4 Sparks Strong Fan Reaction
Tensions are running high between the Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens as they enter Game 4 of the opening round of the NHL playoffs. The Canadiens crushed Washington 6-3 in Game 3 during which a chaotic brawl between Capitals veteran Tom Wilson and Montreal's Josh Anderson spilled over into the bench. Advertisement Adding even more drama, both team's goalies left Game 3 with injuries. While Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson made a surprising return to start in Game 4 after suffering what looked like a severe left leg injury, Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault remained out. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) sprays water on his face during a break against the Kirouac-Imagn Images While neither team scored in the first period, Dylan Strome scored his second goal of the series to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead in the second period. However, Washington was on a power play with about 15 minutes left in the middle frame when TNT's feed suddenly went dark. The outage affected all viewers watching from Los Angeles to New York. Advertisement One man posted, "It appears that TNT has continued their attempts to save money by not showing the Capitals and Canadians game at all." While the game continued, TBS continued to air commercials. One fan added, "Just give us @Sportsnet feed please @NHLonTNT is a joke." TNT Sports apologized for the "technical difficulties" before eventually switching to Sportsnet's feed so viewers watching at home could continue to tune in, which most fans loved. Keith Olbermann posted, "Great news: the Turner broadcast from Montreal just vanished and was replaced by SportsNet... OK, Turner, how much do I have to pay for you to make this permanent? I've got $50 in cash right here - AMERICAN MONEY." Advertisement Sharks reporter Max Miller commented, "It should speak volumes how much better Sportsnet's audio mixing is than TNT/ESPN. With TNT/TBS feed down the Sportsnet feed of WSH v. MTL is being used." One fan wrote added, "No need for TBS to go back to their coverage when their 'technical difficulties' have been resolved for this Caps/Habs game. Just keep the Sportsnet feed. Thank you." One man wrote, "I am loving the SportsNet broadcast of Capitals/Canadiens. Can feel the excitement and energy." With about five minutes left in the second period, however, TNT Sports' feed returned. Related: NHL Makes Capitals-Canadiens Playoff Announcement on Saturday
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Taylor Hall is a natural Hurricane, and 4 seconds in Game 4 proved it
RALEIGH, N.C. — Four seconds isn't much time. On Monday night, that's how long it took for the puck to hit Taylor Hall's stick, for Hall's skates to carry him from the blue line to the high slot, and for his shot to buzz past Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson. That's also how long it took to land on one particularly timely conclusion: That goal — that sequence, in that moment, at this juncture of the Stanley Cup playoffs — is why Taylor Hall is a Carolina Hurricane. Advertisement Hall, a 33-year-old former MVP who'd spent 1 1/2 seasons of his dwindling prime killing time on an NHL bottom-feeder, did in May exactly what Carolina acquired him to do back in January. As an opponent made its push, with the Hurricanes' control of the series in the balance, Hall held the dagger — and he buried it. 'He won the (Hart Trophy in 2017-18) for a reason. He was an elite player. He still is,' Seth Jarvis said. 'And you love to see a guy like that get rewarded and to come up in a situation like this, when it really matters, was awesome to see.' Can't leave Taylor Hall open! — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 13, 2025 If it plays out any differently — if Hall slips offside, or if his shot goes wide, or if Thompson guesses correctly — who knows where things go for Carolina? That could read as hyperbole, and that's not the intent; we've just seen this movie a couple of times before, at least as it relates to the Hurricanes. They were in the second round of the playoffs, outplaying their opponent dramatically, period-over-period and game-over-game, and still one bounce away from heading into Game 5 tied 2-2, moving back into a neighborhood they'd taken great pains to leave behind. And now, with a large assist from Hall, they're one win away from closing out the Capitals in a series that on merit deserves to be 3-1. For three minutes and six seconds after a goal by Jacob Chychrun cut Carolina's lead to 2-1, it felt like they weren't going to get there. Washington was buzzing, and the puck was in Carolina's end. On the retrieval, defenseman Sean Walker rimmed it to center Jack Roslovic, who'd clocked Hall waiting on the far blue line. Both knew exactly what they were doing. 'Everyone's asking me if I was cheating,' Hall said. He wasn't. Carolina head coach Rod Brind'Amour backed him up. Advertisement 'If I didn't get a breakaway there, we were going to exit with possession,' Hall said. 'So I thought it was something to try. And (Roslovic) and I made eye contact, and he made a great pass.' All that — the hockey sense, the creativity, the connection with Roslovic — only got Hall halfway home. He still needed the one-on-one strategy and finishing talent it'd take to beat a high-end goalie who'd already caused Carolina plenty of problems in the first 11 periods. 'I got my head up and tried to look where (Thompson) was. He plays somewhat deep in his net. So shooting is a pretty good option,' he said. 'If you deke, he's going to have a better chance at it. So, I just picked my corner, and it was a good shot.' Good shot. Big shot. 'It kind of gave us a breath,' defenseman Dmitry Orlov said. For Carolina, it was a shot that took root, at the latest, back in January. In Raleigh, they were in the middle of what's become a typical season: cruising for a playoff berth and doing it in statistically dominant fashion, controlling possession and scoring chance share at a metronomically elite level. That's been the story, more or less, for seven years. In that span, though, Carolina hasn't made the Stanley Cup Final. It's the sort of stacked-up instances of almost-but-not-quite that dials up the pressure — and Carolina GM Eric Tulsky acted accordingly, trading for Mikko Rantanen and Hall in one swoop on Jan. 24. If you thought the Hurricanes were averse to all-in moves … actually, if you thought that, you missed the Jake Guentzel trade. If you wanted more proof, for whatever reason, the Rantanen and Hall deals provided that in full. More importantly, they added professional goal-scorers. You know what happened to the first guy. He doesn't work here anymore. Hall remains, and all signs point to him sticking around a while longer; he signed a three-year extension after the Hurricanes' first-round win over New Jersey. As of Monday night, they've already recouped a chunk of it. Advertisement There are reasons to think that willl continue, too. Even if Hall's not scoring huge breakaway goals at the most crucial of moments, he is a stylistic and systematic fit. He spent 31 regular-season games showing it, and now nine in the playoffs. All the elements of a Brind'Amour player — the speed and tenacity necessary to pressure puck carriers, the skill necessary to consistently create chances when the puck changes hands — are present. Look at Carolina's fourth goal, which (again) restored a two-goal cushion. Watch Hall pressure Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin along the boards, dislodge the puck and shuffle it ahead to Walker. That's a lab-quality Hurricanes scoring sequence. Sean Walker gets the insurance goal! 🙌 #StanleyCup 🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ — NHL (@NHL) May 13, 2025 Hall knew the fit made sense well before Tuesday night; he'd played Carolina plenty of times with the Devils and in a playoff series with the Boston Bruins. 'As soon as I got here and they kind of gave the systems rundown and showed some video,' he said, 'I was even more happy. (The) style of play is aggressive. It's in your face. Once you get the hang of it, there's not a lot of thinking. And that bodes well for my game.' Brind'Amour needed a bit of a refresher. 'I obviously know the player, but I didn't know where his game was at,' he said. 'I hadn't really watched him the last little while.' Getting marooned with the Chicago Blackhawks, as Hall did, will have that effect on a person. The excitement and relief he felt after Tulsky threw him a life preserver were clear, and Brind'Amour made sure the vibes continued to improve. 'It was good to just give him a clean slate. I just kind of said, 'Look, you show us what you have,' and that's kind of what he's done,' Brind'Amour said. 'I think he's come in here and just wanted to be part of it. Not anything more than that. And he's clearly been a good addition for us.' A good addition at the right time.
Toronto Star
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Hurricanes push Capitals to brink of elimination with 5-2 win
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sean Walker cut to the middle of the ice and beat Logan Thompson for a critical late goal, then Andrei Svechnikov followed with an empty-net clincher to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Monday night and take a 3-1 lead in their second-round NHL playoff series. Carolina improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs and can clinch a second trip to the Eastern Conference final in three years by winning Game 5 in Washington on Thursday.
