Perhaps one of the best things about Friday night's victory over the Vancouver Canucks is that we know that this team can win without having Kari Lehtonen in the net.

Obviously, it is not the most ideal situation, but these bumps in the road tend to happen over the course of the season. The only thing that a team can do is accept it, find a way to manage with the loss, and move on. With a shortened season, this is even more critical than usual.

Every point won or lost in these next several games will have a major impact on the playoff race for the Stars. They need to find a way to win without Kari, if they want to stay on the top half of the dog pile that is the Western Conference Standings. And Richard Bachman is ready to help them do it. Mike Heika tells us why we can be confident in the Stars' backup goalie.

...That's the great thing about Bachman, who will get a chance to be the Stars' No. 1 goalie while Kari Lehtonen recovers from a groin injury that will keep him out for at least a week.

Bottom line, Bachman doesn't seem to need the drama to get himself fired up.

Bachman could have been an emotional mess after an awful performance against the Flames. He could have fallen apart when presented with the challenge of replacing Lehtonen in the first period Friday at Vancouver and then allowing three goals in 10 minutes. He could still be doubting his ability when the Flames come to American Airlines Center for a rematch Sunday afternoon.

But that's not his style.

Maybe it's fate that his first full game in taking over for Kari will be against those same Calgary Flames. He now has a chance to redeem himself against the same team that did him in earlier this week. Let's hope he's up to the challenege.

Coming up in today's links: The new jerseys for the Stars are nearly here, the Blackhawks refuse to lose, and one of the most random goals you will ever see.

• Mark Stepneski has his preview of today's game, including a list of stats to compare the two teams. The Powerplay and Penalty Kill for the Flames is mind-numbing. [Stars Inside Edge]
• Heika expects the Dallas Stars to reveal their new jerseys sometime this summer, as long as the NHL approves what they've submitted. I'm excited, but also glad they've chose not to add any other distractions to this season. [Dallas News]
• Here's a great grab bag of hockey items, including one I think is a valuable lesson for Stars fans. The Buffalo Sabres have a new owner who spent a bunch of money just to make his fans happy. Look where they are in the standings now. [Grantland]
• The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Colorado Avalanche last night, 6-4. They managed to do it by putting a team record 56 shots on net -- in regulation. Wow. [The Globe And Mail]
• The Blackhawks are on the verge of breaking the "undefeated in regulation to open the season" record. At this point, I hope they go 43-2-3 (the 2 losses against us, of course) on the season. It might help us make the playoffs if they beat our competitors. [NHL]
• Puck Daddy discusses the five "third jerseys" that need to become their main ones. Dallas fans can't wait for the day where they have a single sweater good enough to be the main one, let alone three.
• Your video of the day is an absolute rarity in hockey. Not only does this goalie score a goal, he doesn't even have to put in any of the legwork. The opposing team dumps it in their own net on a delayed penalty call instead.