The Capitals netminder found himself in a tough situation near the end of overtime.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Logan Thompson was standing in his crease, watching the puck come all the way down the ice to his end when he heard shouts from the Washington Capitals bench in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs: "Play it!"
"Trust me, I heard everyone yelling," he acknowledged.
Instead of coming out of his net and playing the puck back up, he waited as John Tavares caught up to it and went on a breakaway, where Tavares ultimately scored to give the Maple Leafs the 4-3 overtime win.
His decision drew questions, but Thompson stands by the call he made, and here's why.
"I made the decision to stay. I like my odds on a breakaway more, that's me, personally," Thompson said. "I've been in the league long enough and I let the goal in, so I'll take responsibility for that, but that's a play that I decided to do in my head."
Thompson also explained that "a lot of variables" went into making that decision, and that after consideration, he thought it was better to let Tavares get the chance rather than risk anything else by coming that far out.
"It wasn't that I was nervous to play the puck, there's a lot of variables. The puck's coming down that side, that's also my offside (Thompson's a full right goaltender) and it's a little easier if it's coming on the other side, right? So for me to get that puck, try and open up and go far side, or even take it off the boards, I'm pretty far out there," he said. "It's still a long way back to the net, and it also gives Toronto an empty net. So I like my odds taking Tavares on one and credit to him, he beat me. I'll take responsibility but I made the decision to play the breakaway."
Head coach Spencer Carbery also talked to Thompson about it to get his goaltender's perspective and considered the fact that there could have not been a right answer when it comes to how to approach it.
"Maybe the judgment line of how far it was and how much risk was involved, it was right on that line," Carbery said. "Those are heat-of-the-moment judgment calls that have to be made in split seconds."
Ultimately, Carbery didn't put the loss on Thompson's play.
"I have zero problem with that play," Carbery said. I have a problem with about 100 plays before that."
