Dallas Stars goaltending prospect Landon Bow has a knack for capitalizing on big opportunities. The youthful netminder has excelled in the role of AHL starter.
CEDAR PARK, Texas — Landon Bow saw one shot in Wednesday night’s overtime period of a 4-3 Texas Stars loss to the Stockton Heat. Calgary Flames farmhand Colin Smith tapped it past Bow on a drive-by deflection, and in a pivotal late-season game between two teams battling for Calder Cup Playoffs spot, Bow failed to save his squad.
He should be disappointed and underwhelmed, maybe upset and unwilling to talk to the media after the game. Instead, the 22-year-old walked right up to the bright camera light and the multitude of microphones with a confident stride and a straight face.
Landon Bow cannot be shaken.
“I feel really comfortable in there,” Bow said. “When you play in a couple of games in a row, you get a feel for the puck and things kind of go right for you.”
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The athletic 6’5″ netminder knows his career will not be defined by an overtime game on a mid-April Wednesday evening. General manager Jim Nill and the rest of the Dallas bunch have their eyes on Bow, so much so that the Alberta native earned a short, reserve recall back in February.
Bow points to his ability to stay focused and positive in the crease as a big reason why. “Guys have been coming to the net a lot, trying to get little bumps, trying to throw me off my game. It’s playoff hockey now, I’ve just gotta be ready for it,” Bow said, “You can’t really worry about it, you’ve just gotta find the puck and keep it going.”
Bow has started 10 out of the last 11 (including six straight) games for the American Hockey League farm team of the Dallas Stars, as Texas starter and recent Dallas hero Mike McKenna finds himself in the NHL. He’s feeling increasingly self-assured and relaxed as the de facto starting goaltender in Cedar Park.
Bow is 19-16-3 with a 2.86 goals against average and a .905 save percentage in 2017-18. For a 22-year-old with no NHL games played, Bow has shouldered the load in Cedar Park like a veteran, playing nearly 2,500 minutes this season (2,496:46).
“It’s good to play a bunch of games and get a good feel for everything right before the playoffs here,” said Bow, who ranks fourth in the AHL amongst goalies in minutes played and games played. Oh, and the former Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender is a rookie.
“I’ve been seeing everything lately,” Bow continued. “It helps when eliminates options and guys sacrifice themselves. I feel really good out there.”
Looking ahead for the Texas Stars, the development club looks to cement a postseason spot with five games remaining in the regular season. Four of those five are home games at HEB Center at Cedar Park.
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“When you’re going into a playoff run, having the home fans behind you really helps you out and gives you that extra momentum,” Bow says. “They’re always loud and they support us. We’re going to have to use that momentum going forward.”