Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) scores past Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (30) in overtime of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov (9) is at bottom left.
Published Wednesday, April 20, 2022 | 9:51 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, April 20, 2022 | 11:34 p.m.
Robin Lehner got the chance to bounce back. He stopped all but one shot in the first period and looked comfortable in a must-win situation.
Out came Logan Thompson to start the second period.
No injury, no on-ice detriment to be thought of, other than it was a change coach Pete DeBoer felt was needed. But Thompson stopped 13 of 15 shots in the final two periods, and Shea Theodore scored the overtime winner to give the Golden Knights an important 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday.
"You've got more time to make a move or find an opening," Theodore said. "It's just been good for me this year, and hopefully we keep it rolling."
It's normally the space where Theodore, scoring his second overtime winner this month and third of the season, would be the focal point. It was also a moment that revived the pulse for the Golden Knights' playoff chase, leaving them two points behind the Dallas Stars for the final wild card spot in the West.
Yet the talk between now and the Golden Knights' next game — Sunday against the San Jose Sharks in Vegas' home finale — will center on who starts in goal the rest of the way.
DeBoer felt Lehner deserved a chance to redeem himself after giving up two questionable goals Monday in the 3-2 loss to the Devils, who hold the fifth-worst record in the league. Lehner's only blunder against the Caps was the goal he allowed. Lehner stopped a powerful Alex Ovechkin slapshot from the blue line, but it squeaked through his pads to allow forward Evgeny Kuznetsov to poke home the loose puck for the opening goal.
"We pay him to start games like this," DeBoer said. "It's the most important time of the year. He's healthy, he's fresh, he has a lot of energy, and we need him at this point of the year."
Alec Martinez tied it 1-1 with six minutes remaining in the first.
Lehner didn't appear injured. He stayed on the bench for the remainder of the game, wearing a baseball cap and readied himself as a possible re-entry to the game.
"I really liked our start. I thought we gave up that first goal, and I thought we looked rattled as a team for the rest of the period," DeBoer said. "It was just to try and switch some momentum, reset ourselves and get ready for the rest of the game."
Thompson said he found out immediately after the first period he was going in.
"As a goalie partner, you don't want to be in that situation," Thompson said. "Robin's a massive part of our team, and he loves everyone. You never want to see that. I was just happy we got two points tonight."
Two shots in, Thompson found out first-hand what it's like trying to stop the greatest goal scorer of this generation.
Ovechkin fired a one-timer from Kuznetsov three minutes into the second period to give Washington back the lead, 2-1. It was Ovechkin's 49th of the season and 779th since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004.
From that moment, what started as two hockey teams fighting for playoff positioning turned into a battle between the 36-year-old Ovechkin and the 25-year-old rookie goalie who was playing in AHL playoff games this time last year.
"I think he played a terrific game," Golden Knights forward William Karlsson said of Thompson. "It's not easy to come in after the first like that. He was focused and did his job, and helped us a lot."
Vegas rallied with two goals in 49 seconds in the third period to take a 3-2 lead. Evgenii Dadonov tied it up on a weak shot from the right side, and former Capital forward Chandler Stephenson deflected a Max Pacioretty pass into the net on the power play.
Ovechkin was on a one-man crusade to even the playing field.
He had a breakaway seven minutes into the period, but he lost the puck to the near post with Thompson staying with him. Five minutes later, his wrist shot was stopped by Thompson, who capped it with a windmill finish.
The third time was the charm for the Capitals' captain. He received a stretch pass from teammate Dmitry Orlov and blasted a slap shot that reached 101 miles per hour, according to the telecast, for the 780th goal of his career and 50th on the season.
It's Ovechkin's ninth season of 50 goals, tying Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most all time.
When asked what it was like to face Ovechkin for the first time, Thompson paused, smiled and released a slight chuckle with a high-pitched response.
"He's OK," the goalie answered.
That confidence has grown each time Thompson has taken the ice. Whether he's started, or come in cold in a must-win situation, the Golden Knights have needed every outing from him to stay alive in this playoff chase.
They'll take the next three days between games to enjoy this win, watch the scoreboard, and hope luck bounces their way heading into Sunday. And, maybe, they'll figure out who's starting in net by then.
"We'll just go from there," DeBoer said. "Logan came off the bench, did a hell of a job. He's done that all year for us. We'll enjoy the win tonight and worry about next game's lineup over the next couple of days."
Dallas lost 5-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and has a game in hand on Vegas. The Stars will play that on Thursday in Calgary.
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
