CALGARY — The one factor status between the Flames clinching a playoff spot Thursday used to be a rookie netminder from Calgary who were given his probability to are living out a dream.
Relied on with the beginning task in a sport his Vegas Golden Knights wanted desperately to win to stay their playoff chase rolling, 25-year-old Logan Thompson emerged the hero in a 6-1 win over the Flames.
“I feel after the sport, leaving the ice, it used to be a ‘Holy Crap’ second,” stated Thompson, following a 35-save efficiency in his first NHL look on the Saddledome, the place he grew up idolizing Miikka Kiprusoff.
“’You simply gained for your fatherland.’ Undoubtedly some feelings going via me. It’s one thing I’m going to keep in mind for the remainder of my existence. In reality excited and couldn’t be happier.
“I take note taking part in towards the Hitmen right here and getting a win used to be all the time cool. There used to be a time after I by no means imagined I’d play towards the Flames, so getting that win and taking part in on this rink is a dream come true.”
It used to be a second he admits he couldn’t have envisioned following a junior occupation with Brandon that left him with out skilled choices.
“After my 20-year-old 12 months, each and every staff mainly informed me to visit college,” stated Thompson, who performed the following season at Brock College in St. Catharines, Ont.
“So, I feel that’s roughly when the dream died and I roughly gave up for a little bit.”
Satirically, it used to be a dialog with then-Wheat Kings proprietor Kelly McCrimmon — his present GM in Vegas — that pointed him to U Sports activities.
“After my 20-year-old 12 months we sat down and he stated, ‘LT I feel you must cross to university. If you happen to signal an NHL contract I’ll purchase you a case of beer.’ After I signed in the course of COVID, I informed him he owed me beer, so I’m nonetheless ready on it.”
Stepping in to save lots of the Golden Knights’ season after Robin Lehner went down with an damage a month in the past, Thompson and his 8-4 document have him in line for a lot more than a brick of Budweiser from McCrimmon.
He can have stored the Golden Knights’ season.
“I nonetheless owe him, that’s honest,” chuckled McCrimmon, who saved an eye fixed on Thompson as he went from Brock to quite a lot of ECHL and AHL stints.
“LT all the time had evident skill. Very athletic. Typically, he has made a truly just right affect in our group. He used to be truly cast remaining 12 months in Henderson (the place he used to be AHL goalie of the 12 months). This 12 months he has been up so much and began seven in a row.
“I stated to (fellow Golden Knights govt) George (McPhee) the opposite day once we have been observing follow, ‘some guys after they get to the NHL they have got an opportunity to make stronger.’”
Thompson out-dueled Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar Thursday in a sport that noticed the previous lifted after permitting 4 objectives on 17 pictures. It used to be the second one instantly early go out for Markstrom, including to a story suggesting the Vezina candidate wanted extra leisure this season.
A debate for some other day.
The Flames did smartly to check the Knights’ depth in a 1-1 first duration through which Markstrom used to be sensational and the Flames have been charged up via a Keegan Kolesar shoulder to the top of Chris Tanev that caused the defender to depart in brief for statement.
Because the Flames hung out chasing Kolesar, it used to be all Vegas and Thompson from there, as has regularly been the case of past due.
Thompson has now long gone 5-0 with a 1.59 GAA and .949 save proportion his remaining 5 outings, when his ninth-place membership has wanted him maximum.
No longer dangerous for a man whose first NHL get started on Jan. 4 used to be the primary time a U Sports activities goalie began an NHL sport in 32 years.
So centered is the lad who grew up in McKenzie Towne that he didn’t even notice his win averted his formative years staff from clinching a playoff berth.
“I had no thought,” smiled Thompson, whose composure is a long way past his 14 video games of NHL enjoy.
“Each time I am getting a get started I don’t need to let the staff or the training team of workers down. Fortunately issues are going my means presently. That is essentially the most thrilling time of the 12 months and I need to stay playing each and every minute of it.”
The loss used to be Calgary’s first in six outings, which trainer Darryl Sutter stated had lots to do along with his staff no longer with the ability to fit the desperation of the Knights.
He lamented having to tug Markstrom.
“I don’t like doing that,” stated Sutter, whose staff opened the scoring at the energy play.
“I’ve stated that all the time, I’m no longer a man who pulls goalies. However I feel this night used to be other. The opposite evening used to be looking to get some momentum out of our staff, as it used to be after the second one duration. However this night, it used to be extra I assumed the gamers truly let him down. I didn’t need to go away him in there.”
