Dallas Stars: Five Things They Must Do To Get In Stanley Cup Playoffs

2. Balance Must Be Found When Choosing Starting Goalies

It’s not easy having two starting goaltenders on the same roster. The Dallas Stars learned that in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi.

Though there were some flashes of potential here and there, the plan never panned out for the Stars. Both goaltenders could not acquaint themselves to the fact of splitting time, and that was one of a few causes that led to subpar results.

As a result of that strife, the Stars bought out Niemi this past summer and brought in Ben Bishop. Yes, he is a younger starter. Why would they do that?

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Well, because they needed a confident starting goaltender in his prime to take the reins while Lehtonen hopefully transitioned seamlessly to a backup role.

So far, things are working well for the duo, and the Stars are benefitting as a result. Bishop (.918 SV%, 2.47 GAA) and Lehtonen (.919, 2.30 GAA) are more often than not giving the Stars a continuously dominant presence in the crease and buying the team a chance to win.

While Bishop has started in 46 of the Stars’ 63 games, Lehtonen has been tremendous as the backup. Both goalies are gaining confidence as the season goes along and giving the team in front of them confidence as well.

And that’s exactly why Dallas will need to manage their goaltending decisions wisely in the final stretch. Over the final 19 games, the Dallas Stars schedule involves quite a stretch.

The Stars play 19 games in 38 days, which puts them in a “game every other day” scenario. There are three back-to-backs in that span and the Stars’ longest break is two days. In addition to that, they will embark a six-game road trip through mid-March that takes place over a ten-day span.

This is where some timely and accurate management will have to come into play.

Managing rest and playing time for both goaltenders may prove to be an intricate task, but it will pay off extensively in the long run. The good thing that Hitchcock has working for him is the balance of both goalies. In other words, both net-minders have shown that they can succeed in any situation faced this year, whether that be playing at home or on the road and facing divisional or non-divisional opponents.

But this will be a critical balance that, if found, will give Dallas it’s best chance to win each and every game. And who wouldn’t want more 38-save shutouts like Bishop posted on Tuesday night?

The Dallas Stars have two starting goaltenders in their arsenal. If they can use them properly and at the right times over the next month, these two could be the team’s biggest strength in the playoff push.