Dallas Stars Might Start Kari Lehtonen On Opening Night
By Josh Clark
In two days, the Dallas Stars begin their 2017-18 regular season campaign against the Vegas Golden Knights. Should the Stars consider starting Kari Lehtonen over Ben Bishop?
The 2017-18 NHL season kicks off tonight and you have every right to be hyped up and excited.
It’s been a long trek since June 11 when the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed the Stanley Cup over the Nashville Predators. The Pens capped off the 2016-17 season with their second consecutive Stanley Cup title and set the stage up for an interesting 2017-18 run.
But since that game, the NHL has experienced a lot of change. A new wave of future talent entered the league in the NHL Draft, hundreds of NHL players moved around through signings and trades during the summer, new coaches took the helm with their new teams, and the league saw its 31st team hop on board. That team, of course, is the Vegas Golden Knights.
In two days, the Dallas Stars have the privilege of opening up their 2017-18 regular season campaign against the Vegas Golden Knights. This will undoubtedly be “the game to watch” on Friday night.
Dallas Stars
The game will serve as the first game in franchise history for the Knights. It’s been a long haul for Vegas. They have waited patiently, assembled their franchise, used the expansion draft wisely, and now look ready to take on the NHL. It may not be the most enthralling first year for the team, but you can be assured that Vegas will bring plenty of energy to the ice.
For Dallas, this game will mean a lot in regards to getting off on the right foot. After a disastrous 2016-17 season that saw Dallas become one of the worst teams in the league, the Stars need a rebound. The summer consisted of GM Jim Nill bringing in some of the best talent that the offseason had to offer and completely revamping the roster.
Perhaps the biggest addition made by the Stars this offseason was goaltender Ben Bishop. One of the Stars’ biggest woes over the past few years has been a lack of depth and consistency in the crease. Bishop is known as one of the elite goaltenders around the league and already has an impressive career trailing him.
With Bishop as the primary starting goaltender, longtime Stars’ goalie Kari Lehtonen is projected to shift to the backup role.
Lehtonen is set to begin his ninth season as a member of the Dallas Stars organization this year. And what if Lehtonen starts his ninth season off by starting in net for the season opener?
Wait a second. Stop. Freeze. HOLD THE PHONE.
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This suggestion probably catches you significantly off guard. “Isn’t Ben Bishop supposed to be the primary starter? Doesn’t that mean he’s the no. 1 option? Shouldn’t the starting goalie always get the opening night gig?”
Well, that is the typical way of doing things around the league. The starter typically starts in game one to hopefully help the team get off on the right foot.
Ben Bishop is known for helping his teams get off and stay on the right foot throughout the year. That being said, he is a solid candidate to take the position for opening night.
But what if Ken Hitchcock goes another direction and gives it to Lehtonen? What would be the potential positives that would arise out of that situation?
Actually, plenty of positives could come out of it that would help Dallas in the long run. Hitchcock is known for being an unpredictable coach, so starting Lehtonen wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise. In fact, it could give Dallas an edge going forward.
First off, Lehtonen knows the team backwards and forwards. He’s been with the Dallas Stars for almost a decade and is the longest tenured player on the team. He knows the defense, knows the offense, understands the atmosphere, and knows the players. Sure the Stars are under new supervision and a new scheme, but Lehtonen still has an upper hand.
In an interview following practice the other day, Hitchcock said that of all the players on the training camp roster, Kari Lehtonen was the best player on the ice throughout camp and the preseason. Lehtonen posted impressive numbers after a rocky start in the preseason, playing in three games and posting a .932 save percentage and 1.89 goals against average.
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Lehtonen’s comfortability with the team showed in the preseason and made a positive impression on Hitchcock. Meanwhile, Bishop spent the preseason learning the ropes of the team and the strategy. He didn’t have the best showing, but acclimated well as the preseason went on. Lehtonen’s level of comfort and poise could help him out in backstopping the team to a much-needed win on Friday.
Secondly, this Vegas team will likely not be a severe threat. While they will empty the tank and give everything they have against Dallas, it likely won’t be enough to put Dallas in a hole. The Stars are expected to be an almost overpowered team and shouldn’t have much trouble putting away a newly crafted team still trying to find chemistry if they play the game right and stay focused.
But on Saturday night, the Stars will face their first back-to-back test when they take on the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis is a much more confident team trying to protect their reputation and will likely have more assets to use against Dallas. Wouldn’t you want your starting goaltender taking on the better of the two teams? Using Bishop both nights isn’t an ideal situation and Lehtonen will likely get one start. With that being the case, wouldn’t you want your backup going against the supposedly weaker team?
Next: Training Camp Excellence Earns Smith NHL Spot
In the end, there are a few good reasons supporting a potential Lehtonen start on Friday night. But there are also plenty of good reasons why Bishop should start (namely being that he is the no. 1 and gives the Stars a solid chance of starting the year off right). It’s all up to how Hitchcock sees it.
If you’re Ken Hitchcock, who do you put in the crease on Friday night?