Dallas Stars Goaltending Situation Evening Out At Right Time
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars goaltending duo seems like it is finally beginning to gain consistency. If this holds true, the Stars have received a true blessing.
On Saturday afternoon, the Dallas Stars gifted their fan base with an Easter Eve victory in California. The Stars finished up their road trip in San Jose against the Sharks and secured a physical, but impressive 4-2 victory.
The Stars definitely endured and delivered a beating in the contest. Not only did Antoine Roussel stir up a fight with Tommy Wingels and multiple altercations, but other names like Jamie Benn, John Klingberg, Alex Goligoski, and Radek Faksa were involved in scuffles of their own.
In the end, Dallas walked away the victorious club and picked up a crucial two points that they put towards their standing in the Central Division.
Antti Niemi was a large part of the Stars’ success. In his second start against the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center this season, Niemi stood tall and helped carry the Stars against his former team. Though two goals were sunk by the Sharks in the first few minutes of the third that almost evaporated a 3-0 lead for Dallas, Niemi went on lockdown and finished the game off with a gritty victory.
It was a fascinating and intriguing win for the Dallas Stars, but Niemi may be the primary surprise. After only participating in four of the past 13 games, Niemi looked as though he had become the official backup.
Kari Lehtonen was in the midst of a relatively successful hot streak, winning three straight games and posting a .930 save percentage. But after a disappointing 3-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, Lehtonen took to the bench and the Stars rested their faith in a goalie undergoing one of the worst slumps in his career.
The odds and scenario may have been against Niemi, but he picked up the slack and put on a brilliant show for Dallas.
Now, the Dallas Stars have six more games remaining on their regular season schedule. For the majority of this season, they have relied on certain goalies through different stretches of the season, but have never used a back-and-forth routine.
As a result, their goaltending system has not been the most effective all season. But it has gotten the job done at different parts in the year, and has helped the Stars claim the first overall spot in the Western Conference.
Or, at least part of it. The Stars and St. Louis Blues are currently tied at 99 points a piece for first place in the division and conference. If they want to eventually walk away with the division title, their goaltending situation will need to be at its most consistent point.
Luckily, that may not be too far off from happening. This is completely speculative, but the Stars goaltending situation could be picking itself up at this point.
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That was a big win for Niemi on Saturday, plain and simple. Meanwhile, Lehtonen has proven over the past few weeks that he can quickly bounce back from upsetting losses.
The thing is, this may be a corner turned for the Dallas Stars’ goaltending department or it may not. But the postseason is just six short games away. Whether Dallas fans want to admit it or not, the Stars will require two functioning and consistent goaltenders if they expect to make it out of the first round.
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The playoffs are a time when anything can happen and there is little to no room for error. The Dallas Stars have yet to find a smooth path this season where both goalies have been performing at an impressive rate. That needs to change quick. Otherwise, they may be looking at an early exit.