Thompson Holds Firm as Capitals Snap Skid Against Florida
Washington beat Florida 4-3, and the difference came down to the man in the Capitals' crease. Logan Thompson stopped 27 of 30 shots and gave his team a little more than the chances in front of him deserved. By goals saved above expected (how many goals he prevented compared with an average goalie facing the same shots), he finished at +0.69.
It wasn't a lopsided night. The Capitals had slightly the better of the chances, putting up 4.10 expected goals (what their chances were worth) to Florida's 3.69, and edging the shot-attempt count 62-57. Akira Schmid made 27 saves on 31 shots at the other end, roughly what his workload called for, but not quite enough.
Florida's danger came from Brady Tkachuk, who scored twice on seven shots, on a line with Sam Bennett (one goal) and Matthew Tkachuk (three assists). Washington spread it around: Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and an assist, and defenceman Jack St. Ivany scored too.
Alex Tuch scored once and also rang a post on a good look, so the Capitals could have had more. They also survived five Florida power plays, allowing one goal.
The win snaps a two-game skid for Washington, now holding the sixth wild-card spot in the East.
