Dallas Stars Goaltending: A Rare, Excellent Scenario

The Dallas Stars goaltending was a hot topic during the 2014-2015 season, but most of the talk was critiquing instead of complimenting.

As the Stars embarked on a new season, there were certainly high expectations set for them. After a 2013-2014 season that consisted of a few surprises and ended in a disappointing, but nonetheless entertaining first-round playoff exit, things were certainly looking up.

Toss in another successful offseason by GM Jim Nill which was highlighted by the blockbuster trade that brought veteran sniper Jason Spezza to the lineup and you’ve got yourself all the keys to a hopeful fan base.

All the hype was carried into late October, which could very well be considered it’s final resting place. From October 25th to November 10th, the Dallas Stars stumbled through an 0-5-2 skid. Gaining 2 of a possible 14 points is not the easiest slump to shake off, and the Stars suffered as a result. Jim Nill will constantly bring up the fact that from December 8th to the end of the year, the Stars were one of the best teams in the NHL. They finished off the year with a record of 32-19-5, and that included losing the services of Tyler Seguin, Patrick Eaves, and Trevor Daley for extended amounts of time.

The primary reason for this collapse was the back end, specifically the goaltending. Though the defense did contribute it’s fair share to the problem by it’s lack of experienced members, the crease was a source of distress and trouble for the Stars the majority of the season.

This started off with the starting goaltender, Kari Lehtonen. Following one of his best seasons in Dallas in 2013-2014, Lehtonen seemed to shift down this past year. On exit interview day, he was the first to admit that he was not good enough this past year and will need to improve. While Lehtonen tied his career high in wins by posting a record of 34-17-10, he set a new career low in save percentage at .903 and tied his second-worst goals against average at 2.94. Surprisingly enough, he actually took less shots against this past year than the year before.

Alongside Kari Lehtonen was another unsuccessful experiment at backup goaltending. With the Stars possibly going for a fifth straight failed year of searching for a competent backup goalie, they signed on former Tampa Bay Lightning starter Anders Lindback. After seven games in the NHL, Lindback was 1-6-0 with a save percentage of .846 and a goals against average of 3.57. Needless to say, Nill decided to part ways and trade for Jhonas Enroth. As Enroth began to adjust to a new team, he began improving. By the end of the season, Enroth was on a four game winning streak though the Stars had already been eliminated from playoff contention.

As the opening of the free agency market neared, it was made public that the Dallas Stars and Jhonas Enroth would be exploring different options, but might possibly reunite if neither side found their match.

On June 27th, Jim Nill officially put those chances to rest. In the midst of the second round of the NHL Draft, it was announced that the Stars had traded their upcoming seventh round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the negotiating rights to veteran starting goaltender Antti Niemi. Just two days later, the two sides had worked out a three-year deal, officially making Niemi a part of the Stars 2015-2016 roster.

The Dallas Stars were obviously looking to upgrade their crease, and Niemi will be the one to help. A seasoned veteran with seven years and one Stanley Cup under his belt, Niemi has run the Sharks crease for the past five seasons. He is coming off of a 31-23-7 record in 2014-2015, along with a .914 SV% and a 2.59 GAA.

With the addition of Niemi, the Stars have something that very few NHL teams currently possess. That is two goaltenders that have the reputation of a starter, both in their prime, competing for the one starting spot.

“Like I said, we’re fortunate because of our cap situation that we can do it. I know that if other teams had the cap room, they’d do it. You can’t get any better than having two No. 1 goalies in your lineup.” -Jim Nill

This scenario is an excellent one to be in, and Nill knew exactly what he was doing when he traded for Niemi. Now there will most definitely be competition, but it will be in the friendliest of ways, only making the two goaltenders better and more efficient.

It’s taken a while for the Stars to stumble upon this possibility, but now that they have it is clear they are sitting pretty. Both goaltenders realize that they have reached the average peak age for an NHL player and are closer to retirement than they are to their draft day. If either falls behind this season, there may not be team looking for their services. With all of the young talent rising up in the ranks, one slip-up could be catastrophic for either Finn.

Also, it will give both goaltenders necessary rest time after a game. Being able to rest trust in either goalies hands on any given night is a powerful trait to hold.

This goaltending scenario looks perfect on paper. It looks like the envy of any given NHL team. But they must follow through with it. Lehtonen and Niemi must work together and mold the Dallas Stars crease into one of the most feared in the league, hopefully for many years to come.

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