DETROIT (AP) – Everybody knows how a hot goalie can alter a playoff series. What’s tricky is figuring out who might fit that description in a given postseason.
Detroit’s Petr Mrazek shut out Tampa Bay on Tuesday night – but he was pulled during the previous game with the Red Wings losing handily. Chicago, meanwhile, has taken a 3-1 series lead over Nashville thanks to backup Scott Darling, who has stopped 127 of 131 shots in three appearances.
Both those goalies will be in action tonight, hoping their recent success is a sign of things to come.
“You’ve got to play good every night,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “That’s how you get to be a starting goalie in the National Hockey League. We expect him to play good every night.”
With goaltending performance seemingly so fickle, coaches can be forgiven if they have little patience for a struggling netminder at this time of year.