Dallas Stars: Examining Their First Round Matchup Against Predators
By Josh Clark
Comparing The Goaltending
The reigning Vezina winner going up against a former Vezina finalist and the best backup goaltender in the NHL in 2018-19.
How entertaining does that sound?
The Stars’ Side
While the Dallas Stars defense has been impressive this season, the team likely would have held their exit interview day on Monday and be embarking on a third consecutive early offseason had it not been for the play of their goaltenders.
Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were not only essential, but also electric in the Dallas crease this season. Their presence not only kept the Stars in games on most nights, but also served as the deciding factor in many of the team’s 43 wins.
Let’s start with Bishop. The 32-year-old starting goaltender turned in the best year of his NHL career this season, posting a record of 27-15-2 along with a .934 save percentage (career-best), 1.98 goals against average (career-best), and seven shutouts. He owned both the top save percentage and goals against average in the NHL (among goalies with at least 35 games played).
"“He’s just been phenomenal. We’re lucky because not only is he maybe the top goalie in the league right now, but [Anton] Khudobin is one of the top five. That’s why we finished second in the Jennings. Bish is just in a zone, and let’s hope it goes for eight more weeks.” – Jim Montgomery on April 6"
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And had it not been for four periods of injury that caused him to miss 18 games, those numbers might be even better.
Backing him up was Anton Khudobin, who did nothing short of wow and impress in his first season with the Dallas Stars. Though the 32-year-old posted a 16-17-5 record, his .923 save percentage and 2.57 goals against average had him among the league’s top goalies. On top of that, he stymied the Predators at Bridgestone Arena on two separate occasions, posting a 49-save shutout (a franchise record) in December and following it up with a 38/39 performance in early February.
The two-headed monster has served as the primary fuel in getting the Dallas Stars to the playoffs and will play a large role in their potential surge.
The Predators’ Side
Pekka Rinne. The 2018 Vezina Trophy winner and likely just two wins short of a Conn Smythe Trophy in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
The 36-year-old finished the 2018-19 season on a positive note, going 30-19-4 with a .918 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average. Though those numbers are a step down from his Herculean statistics from the 2017-18 campaign, they were impressive enough to earn Nashville a second Central division title.
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On the other hand, Juuse Saros put up a record of 17-10-2 with a .915 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average. He also took a step down from an impressive 2017-18 push, but was able to contribute in a few key games for the Predators.
The Predators probably want to ride Rinne through the playoffs as they have in past years. But with his age creeping upwards and his iffy performances against the Stars this season, Nashville might be forced to turn to Saros at some point.
Meanwhile, the Stars should be content and confident with using either goalie at any point during their run.
ADVANTAGE: DALLAS
The Dallas goaltending duo is one of the best tandems in the past decade in the NHL and has done nothing but get better as the season goes along. If both can stay healthy, they will be an incredibly difficult force to penetrate.
While Nashville has an experienced starter with a winning resume, the Stars have two starting-caliber goaltenders that can win them games if need be. And that’s exactly what hockey teams need in the postseason.