It is never easy to be without your starting goaltender. The goalie is arguably the most important position on the ice and is a key component to having sustained success. If you get into a situation where you lose your starting goalie, having a reliable backup to weather the storm goes a long way.
Take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning for instance. They were missing Andrei Vasilevskiy for the first month and a half of the season (returned Nov. 24) and were able to weather the storm. Jonas Johansson posted a record of 8-5-5, and kept the Lightning in the thick of things until Vasilevskiy returned.
The same thing can be said for the Dallas Stars. It hasn’t been to the same length but they are currently without starting goaltender Jake Oettinger. However, because of the play their backup goaltender, they’ve stayed in the race for first in the Central Division.
Wedgewood Standing Tall In Net
Scott Wedgewood has been a blessing since coming over from the Arizona Coyotes during the 2021-22 season. His workload has not been the heaviest but he has been reliable when being put into the crease. During the 2022-23 season, he had 21 games under his belt as the Stars gave Oettinger a heavy workload. Wedgewood was solid overall, posting a 2.72 goals against average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage (SV%). Wedgewood was great in providing aid but he has done more than that during the 2023-24 season.
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Wedgewood has played 15 games this season and has started 14. He is closing in on matching his starts from last season and we have not reached the midway point of this season yet. This is a good thing — very rarely do you see a goaltender play 60-plus games anymore and having a reliable tandem in the crease is huge over an 82-game season.
Wedgewood has been thrust into the starter’s role since Oettinger went down with an injury Dec. 18 against the Ottawa Senators. Since then, Wedgewood has been a huge help in helping the Stars win games, going 7-1-1. His biggest moment came against the Vancouver Canucks when he robbed Elias Pettersson on a breakaway in overtime and Matt Duchene scored the game winner seconds after.
In December he was rocking a .900 SV% and a 2.75 GAA. In addition, he has been solid in the high-danger area, posting a .732 SV%, although, he finished the month with a goals saved above expected (GSAX) of -3.04. That is a number he will want to improve on, but overall he has provided solid goaltending in Oettinger’s absence. Time will tell when Oettinger can return but until then, the Stars are in good hands.
Oettinger Week to Week and Stars Don’t Need to Rush Him Back
Ever since his playoff performance against the Calgary Flames during the 2021-22 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Oettinger cemented himself as the number-one goaltender. He went on to prove that was no fluke, as finished the 2022-23 season with career bests in SV% (.919) and GAA (2.37). Not to mention, he finished the season with 11.8 GSAX, which was 12th best in the league.
Oettinger is currently listed as week to week, which is a tough blow. However, with Wedgewood’s emergence, they do not have to rush him back. It has been a tougher season for Oettinger, but overall he has still been good. He currently has a 2.93 GAA , a .901 SV% but also a -1.8 GSAX, which is a regression from last season.
By his standards, his play is not where he would like it to be, but he does have an 11-7-2 record. Both goaltenders will be needed, as the race for the Division crown will be a fight until the end.
Wedgewood Will Be Needed Until the End
No question about it, the Stars are a great hockey team. They are tied for second in the Central Division with the Winnipeg Jets and are one point back of the Colorado Avalanche with two games in hand.
Wedgewood will be needed down the stretch as the team will want to ease Oettinger back into game action. With the team poised to go on a deep playoff run, they’ll need both goalies to play and keep one another fresh and ready. Dallas has shown they can win with either goalie in the net, and even being down Oettinger they still have the seventh best record (22-9-4) in the NHL.