The Dallas Stars have a tough stretch ahead in the upcoming week. But even in the difficult situations, they are still showing the utmost faith in their goaltending tandem.
This week could make or break the Dallas Stars.
The phrase above will likely be repeated by various fans, analysts, and hockey followers everywhere during each of the next five weeks. On the bright side, it doesn’t apply only to the Stars.
With the month of March now in full swing, the push to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is on. Teams in both conferences and all four divisions are competitively chomping at the bit for valuable points. The only certain thing in the race is the uncertainty.
And that’s exactly what the Dallas Stars are facing: uncertainty.
Dallas Stars
At the moment, the Stars sit in sole control of the first wild card spot (seventh place, in other words) in the Western Conference. They are only two points out of third place in the Central Division with a game in hand, so that’s good. But they also sit just three points away from being outside of the playoff picture entirely. That’s because of the four teams just below Dallas that are scrapping for their spot in the standings.
With quick access to both ascending and descending the standings, results become a determining factor in how the Stars finish this season and if they play past game 82 or not.
And that’s why this week and the other four weeks following it are so crucial. Depending on how Dallas performs, they could either lock themselves into a postseason spot or find themselves trying to break back into the picture.
This is where the need for solid goaltending comes into play. Every NHL team knows that two competent goalies are essential to winning throughout an entire season. But their importance reaches a new level when the chips are down and a team’s survival relies solely on the strength of their crease.
And that’s why the Dallas Stars have Ben Bishop and Kari Lethonen.
Through the first 65 games of this season, both Bishop and Lehtonen have provided the Stars with a rocksteady presence in the crease. Bishop, the starter, has appeared in 50 games this season, posting a record of 26-17-4 along with a .916 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average. Lehtonen, the backup, holds an 11-6-1 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.30 GAA.
“I said before that you need two goalies to win,” Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock said following a game against the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 3, 2018. “Both guys have kept us in games and won us points and been there at the end. They’re the major reason the goals against is down so much.”
SenShot
While there is always room for improvement, these numbers are leaps and bounds ahead of what any Dallas goaltending duo has posted in the past 6-8 years. The Dallas Stars have two reliable goalies that they can call on to get the job done regardless of the situation. Whether it’s a losing skid, a top-tier team coming in, or a game that will affect the Stars’ playoff spot, both goalies have proven that they can step up.
But it’s more about just having two reliable goaltenders. A large amount of trust also must be present. With the Stars and their net-minders, that trust is present, and it shows in their decisions.
Dallas will start the first part of a back-to-back tonight at home against the Ottawa Senators. It will be the final game of their five-game homestand before heading for Nashville for a matchup with the Predators on Tuesday night.
As it is with every back-to-back, the Stars were expected to use both goalies, with one starting in the first game and the other getting the second tilt.
And according to Ken Hitchcock at Sunday’s practice, the Dallas Stars will do just that. But these two matchups bring a “tale of two teams” theme along with them.
The Senators are currently ranked 29th in the league. They are undergoing a tumultuous season and are preparing for a potentially significant rebuild in the 2018 summer. Playoffs are the last thing on Ottawa’s mind at the moment, considering they sit 17 points out of the final wild card spot.
Editor In Leaf
Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators have won eight straight and are running away with the Central Division. They also now find themselves just one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the league lead in points.
One team is struggling while the other team is a divisional rival that cannot seem to lose a game. So the obvious solution is to put your confident starter up against the juggernaut and let your backup take on the straggler, right?
Apparently not. Hitchcock stated at practice that the plan is to have Bishop start against the Senators and for Lehtonen to take on the Predators.
While it may seem like a risky move, it actually has plenty of brilliance behind it. It also goes to show that the Stars trust both of their goaltenders and can rely on either of them in any setting. That’s not an easy trust to build, but the Dallas goalies have done a good job at establishing it this season.
Bishop has been a tad streaky as of late, posting a save percentage above .900 in only two of his last five appearances. On the other hand, Lehtonen has been stellar as of late, winning six of his last seven starts including one shutout victory over the LA Kings.
And that’s why it’s not a risky move at all. Instead, it’s a smart move. The Dallas Stars own two starting-caliber goaltenders and plan on relying on and using them to their fullest advantage.
“We’ve got two starters and we don’t have a backup,” said Stars defenseman Stephen Johns. “That’s their mentality and that’s our mentality. Whichever one is in, we know they’re going to get the job done for us and we’re going to play good in front of them.”
Next: You Cannot Count The Stars Out Of Games Anymore
This week could very well make or break the Stars in the playoff race. That possibility remains constant. But with a reliable goaltending tandem like Bishop and Lehtonen, there doesn’t seem to be as much nerve as there is confidence.
That’s a pretty great thing to have when you’re locked in a gritty and deep playoff battle with only 17 games to go in the season.