Dallas Stars Goalie Duo Could Be Ready For Stanley Cup

The Dallas Stars tried out a new theory last year by using two veteran goaltenders as dual starters in the crease. The idea succeeded relatively well, but caught a lot of backlash. Still, their two-headed goalie monster could win a Stanley Cup.

No, I’m not crazy. No, I’m not on drugs. No, this is not a click-bait story. And yes, I watched and/or attended every single Dallas Stars game from the 2015-16 season, including each of the 13 postseason games.

Even after all that, I am telling you that the Stars could very well have a lineup capable of making a Stanley Cup run in 2016-17. You heard it right. Goaltending and all.

As everyone knows, a hockey team’s lineup can be narrowed down into three categories: offense, defense, and goaltending. If a team can be successful in all three fields at the same time, they have a strong chance at running the table and winning a Stanley Cup.

The average NHL fan knows that the Dallas Stars are a team built on offensive horsepower. Meanwhile, the defense is quickly growing and could potentially be stronger next season.

Then the goaltending comes along, and all hell breaks loose for some reason. This past year, the Stars put a new spin on their crease, going with two veteran goalies and splitting the starts between them. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi were the so-called “guinea pigs” in this new theory, and they put together a rather decent result.

Though the Stars ended up falling in game seven of the Western Conference semifinals to the St. Louis Blues, they gathered 50 wins and 109 points on their way to the top of the Central Division and Western Conference standings.

Lehtonen and Niemi were two significant factors in getting them there. Neither goalie ended the year with over-the-top statistics, but they held each other in check and built off one another throughout the year. Lehtonen (25-10-2, .906 SV%, 2.76 GAA) and Niemi (25-13-7, .905 SV%, 2.67 GAA) each accounted for 25 wins and made the most of their time in net throughout the year.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs rolled around, and things got a bit dicey. Niemi hit a slump, Lehtonen was either red hot or ice cold, and the plan ultimately collapsed in the second round. Game seven was the deal breaker for Stars’ fans emotions. Watching your favorite team get routed 6-1 on home ice due to poor goaltending is no easy dilemma. It stings to the core. Not to mention it causes people to turn their trust rather quickly.

So we’re now enduring a long and harsh offseason, and the rumor mill is churning. Ben Bishop. Marc-Andre Fleury. Tuukka Rask. All rumors, little substance (besides Bishop, though even things there have died down). But knowing general manager Jim Nill, anything is possible. That being said, no trade is too far-fetched. I mean, P.K. Subban and Shea Weber were traded two weeks ago. That’s crazy talk.

Anything can happen at this point. But nothing needs to happen. Yes, here we go back to Crazy Town.

The fact of the matter is that this Dallas Stars goaltending duo should be just fine, at least for now. If things get rough as the season goes on, a change could be necessary.

But for now the Stars are in a delicate position. They have an offense that 29 NHL teams wish they had. Their defense is a big, young group with a world of potential. Those two factors alone give Dallas a strong shot at the Cup. The goaltending is the only obstacle that could prove to be detrimental.

As I pointed out yesterday, one of the biggest things that Lehtonen and Niemi had to overcome this past season was the adjustment to a new role. They went from playing 60+ games a season to playing somewhere around 41 games a piece. They used to be consistent starters with an average backup, and now they are co-starters.

The thing is, these two goalies were able to coincide and bond this past year. The Finns had their own separate slumps and issues this past season, but when one went down, the other goalie was there to pick up the pace. The playoffs were a bit of a hiccup, but they were not the only Stars that had some trouble adjusting. Now the adjustment period is over and things can move smoothly.

must read: Stars Turning To Youth And Size On Blue Line

The problem with moving a current goaltender and bringing in another is that another adjustment period would be imminent. A veteran goaltender must take time to adapt to their new role in the crease. The Stars have a proven goalie tandem that took a year to learn the ropes and can now run effectively.

Another year under the same setup could do the Dallas Stars some serious good. Jeff Reese will enter his second year as Stars’ goaltending coach, and will likely bring more to the table. Niemi and Lehtonen now understand what is being asked of them on a better level, and can continue to support and build each other up.

At the end of the day, these two goaltenders can go the distance and win a Stanley Cup together. Heck, one of them already did. What if it does not pan out? Simple. Nill can begin searching for new life mid-season, considering most teams will use the trade deadline as a last opportunity to dish a star player that they won’t be able to keep through expansion.

Next: Stars Goaltending: What It Looks Like Now

Overall, every team has its ups and downs. One of the Stars downs last year was goaltending in the playoffs. But now that the goalies were able to use 15-16 as a “feeling out” process, they could be ready to do something outstanding. Nill has expressed multiple times this offseason that he believes the goalie tandem can go stronger and further next season, even as far as a Cup.

All we can really do is wait at this point.