DALLAS — Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy shared no grand message or elongated speech to Logan Thompson ahead of the goalie’s first career playoff start tonight.
Cassidy didn’t feel like it was necessary to say much besides, “enjoy the moment.” As it’s so often been in the playoffs with the Golden Knights, Cassidy’s judgment was spot on.
Thompson had 27 saves as the Golden Knights beat the Stars 4-3 in Game 1 of their opening-round Stanley Cup Playoff series at American Airlines Center. He outdueled Dallas' Jake Oettinger, who managed only 11 saves.
The 27-year-old Thompson was lights-out through the first two-and-a-half periods except for a brief stretch in the first period where Jason Robertson wristed one past him and Jamie Benn backhanded in a goal on a breakaway. Still, Vegas led 3-2 after the first.
Those two goals weren’t necessarily his fault either.
“We got the saves we needed,” Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar said on the radio broadcast at the second intermission. “We gave up too many odd man rushes. That’s on us.”
Monday started with Cassidy making two major, though expected announcements — that captain Mark Stone would return for the first time in two months off a lacerated spleen and Thompson would start ahead of Adin Hill.
Stone and Thompson wound up two of the most important players for the Golden Knights. Stone scored 83 seconds into the game, on the Golden Knights’ first shot on goal, when he tipped in a shot from defenseman Noah Hanifin on a power play.
Hanifin had a pair of points in his Golden Knights’ playoff debut, both on the power play. Later in the first period, fellow trade-deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl pounced on a Hanifin rebound and punched it in.
Hertl deserves much of the credit for the Golden Knights’ recent power-play success, a trend they built on by converting both of their chances in Game 1. Dallas went 0-for-2 on the power play.
The Stars went into the first intermission having mostly controlled the last few minutes of play, but the Golden Knights re-established themselves in the second period with an early goal from defenseman Brayden McNabb.
The Stars got 10 shots on goal in the frame, but Thompson stopped them all. He seemed to be in a good place until allowing a wrister by Mason Marchment from the high left side of the boards at 11:46 of the third period.
Dallas got several more chances in the closing minutes, including during two-and-a-half minutes of 6-on-5 play after pulling Oettinger but Thompson hunkered down.
The Golden Knights’ defense of last year’s Stanley Cup victory is off to a strong start.
Check back later for more coverage of Game 1 and read below for live coverage from throughout the game.
After giving up a pair of score late in the first period, Golden Knights goalie Logan Thompson settled down in the second period.
The Stars certainly challenged him, but Thompson was up to the task with 10 saves to ensure the Golden Knights went into the final frame with a 4-2 advantage. Vegas chipped up its lead by a goal courtesy of a long wrister from defenseman Brayden McNabb in the opening two minutes of the second period.
It was one of only two shots on goal for Vegas in the period. Dallas was more the active side, but Thompson made sure it didn’t matter.
Vegas escapes high-flying first period with 3-2 lead
What a first period.
Many suggested Golden Knights vs. Stars was the best first-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and through 20 minutes of play, they must feel proven correct. Vegas leads 3-2 but inches separate the score from being locked 3-3.
Dallas’ first goal, from third-pair defenseman Ryan Suter, came off the board when Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy challenged for offsides. He won, allowing Vegas to maintain 1-0 edge it built behind an early power-play goal from Mark Stone.
That quickly became 2-0 when reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault sniped a puck past Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger off the rush on a pass from Ivan Barbashev.
Dallas eventually answered when Jamie Benn got behind the defense and fooled Logan Thompson with a late backhand.
Vegas’ power play struck again a minute later, however, when Tomas Hertl corralled a rebound and found the back of the net. The Golden Knights had barely finished celebrating by the time Logan Stankoven forced a turnover and fired a pass to Jason Robertson, who finished with another Stars’ goals.
Talk about offensive efficiency — there have been 19 shots on goal (10 by Dallas, nine by Vegas) and five goals so far here. Almost six.
Mark Stone scores first
The Stars picked up a penalty in 26 seconds. The Golden Knights scored a goal in 83 seconds.
Vegas leads Dallas 1-0 at American Airlines Center two minutes into Game 1 of the teams’ Stanley Cup Playoff series after Mark Stone deflected in a slapshot from defenseman Noah Hanifin. The Golden Knights’ recent power-play success kept up after Stars forward Sam Steel was called for a high-sticking penalty to start the game.
Stone found the perfect way to return from a two-month absence with a lacerated spleen. His score was Vegas’ first shot on goal of the night.
Pregame
Logan Thompson will start in net, and Mark Stone will be among the players skating in front of him.
The identity of the goalie and Stone’s status were the two biggest questions heading into Game 1 of the Golden Knights’ playoff series against the Dallas Stars at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Thompson starting and Stone returning seemed all but certain to be the answers, and they were confirmed at a morning skate session Monday at American Airlines Center.
“I feel confident that I’m healthy enough and ready to go,” said Stone, who suffered a lacerated spleen less than two months ago. “Why hold back? Might as well get in there and play.”
Stone will return to his usual spot on the second line, but now flanking trade-deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl in addition to usual partner Chandler Stephenson.
There’s no plan to limit Stone’s usage according to Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy.
“I was told he’s cleared and ready to go,” Cassidy said. “We will obviously monitor it because he’s missed some time, but he plays on the power play, he kills penalties. We’re not going to put a governor on him so to say. The eye test will tell us where his conditioning level is at.”
The eye test is what ultimately landed Thompson the goalie gig over Adin Hill, who led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup a year ago. Hill battled injuries throughout the year, leaving his game “not at the level” it was at the end of last year into the start of this season, in Cassidy's words.
Thompson meanwhile has played well for all but one period over the last month — a disastrous team-wide, third-period collapse that led to a 7-4 loss in Arizona — by Cassidy’s estimation.
“I think Logan has earned the opportunity to get in there. He’s played well for us. I think guys will play well in front of him and he’ll reward us with some timely saves. (It’s) his first playoff start so I basically said ‘Enjoy the moment.’”
Cassidy stressed personnel will likely be fluid throughout the playoffs, so Thompson isn’t necessarily “the guy” permanently going forward. Hill will likely get his chance as could forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Michael Amadio and Paul Cotter, and defenseman Alec Martinez and Ben Hutton.
All of the above group will be healthy scratches in tonight’s playoff opener. Cassidy said crafting the lineup required a number of difficult decisions, but in the end, the Golden Knights feel better about the personnel group than they have all season.
Stay tuned for updates from throughout the game and look below for more pregame info.
TV: Scripps Sports locally (Channel 34 on Cox, DirecTV and antenna); ESPN nationally
Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM
Betting line: Stars -135 (i.e. risking $135 to win $100), Golden Knights +124 (i.e. risking $100 to win $124); over/under: 5.5 (-115/-105)
Golden Knights’ projected lines and pairs
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Jonathan Marchessault
Chandler Stephenson – Tomas Hertl – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – William Karlsson – Anthony Mantha
William Carrier – Nicolas Roy – Keegan Kolesar
Noah Hanifin – Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague – Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
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