Hockey season is officially over as the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup. It’s time to reflect back on why the Dallas Stars didn’t. One area that did not lack is the goaltending department. The Stars’ carousel of five goaltenders kept spinning until one stood out as the backstop of the future. Jake Oettinger’s performance in the First Round still stands as the best. The future is shining bright with him as the anchor holding the net down. Let’s take a look back at the goalies this year.
The Goalies
Five goaltenders filled that carousel. Jake Oettinger, Braden Holtby, Ben Bishop, Scott Wedgewood, and Anton Khudobin were the five filling between the pipes. Bishop retired in the middle of the season without playing a game. Khudobin and Holtby received injuries. Wedgewood came over to Dallas via trade with Arizona and filled in the backup role. Oettinger got the #1 role and put up the numbers to show for it.
The Numbers
Forget about playoffs without them. Oettinger still has the best save percentage in this year’s playoffs. His .954% is best among goalies that played an entire round. The future is bright with him in the net if they can secure it. He is currently an RFA but hopefully that changes soon. Wedgewood captured the nickname “Wedgewall” after a stellar 47-save performance in his debut against the Carolina Hurricanes. The revolving whirlwind finally settled down once they secured the goaltending situation.
The Future
Wedgewood signed a two-year contract extension so he is the backup for the time being. It is unclear about Khudobin but his time in the NHL is winding down at age 36. For sure the star of the future is Oettinger. He needs another contract that probably will get inked in the next few weeks.
Goalies will make or break a team in the playoffs. They need to stand on their head a lot if you want to get that treasured 16 wins in the playoffs. Oettinger’s performance in that First Round series was a masterclass. The carousel of goaltenders finally comes to a halt as next season should be a lot less hectic in finding the starter and backup.
