With starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen out for at least one week with the dreaded groin injury, the Dallas Stars are going to have a lot of eyes on their crease for the next few games.
Andrew Raycroft, who is still looking for his first win of the season, is the solution for the moment, and when put in a similar situation last year, he led the Stars to a 5-2 record while Lehtonen rested his sometimes-wonky back.
And that performance, combined with the play of Richard Bachman with the AHL Texas Stars, has general manager Joe Nieuwendyk happy about where his team sits with Lehtonen out, at least for now.
One of the interesting things that people have said about this team in the early going is that they would be fine....just as long as the goalie didn't get hurt. So how do you react when the goalie does get hurt?
``It is a lot like the quarterback position,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``Nobody wants to see it, but these things happen and you just have to deal with it. I think you make a commitment to team play and to playing even harder in front of the goalie who is there. Funny things happen at a time like this, and while your mind can have the tendency to have bad thoughts because your quarterback has gone out, you have to fight through that and you have to draw together closer as a team.''
After the jump, more on tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche, Charlottetown suddenly wants the NHL back and a hard few days in the life of Jarome Iginla
- At least things aren't quite as bad as the Stars feared on the injury front after that ridiculous game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Vernon Fiddler is expected to be in the lineup after what was reported to be a groin injury, though an astute Twitter user pointed out the injury occurred when he took a Sheldon Souray slapshot to the shin. Funny, that. [DallasNews.com]
- Mark Stepneski gives us a closer look at Andrew Raycroft and Richard Bachman. On the downside, however, Trevor Daley is definitely out after injuring his back against the Yotes. [ESPN Dallas]
- As for dealing with the blasted injury bug, Razor suggests calling an exterminator. [Razor with an Edge]
- Remember when the mayor of Charlottetown , P.E.I., came off like a giant jerk by basically saying he didn't want the Stars back? Well now the city council is arguing over whether or not it's too expensive to host an exhibition game. The first comment on the story made me smile. [TheGuardian.ca]
- Meet the enemy, part the first: Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are both under the weather and missed practice on Sunday but are expected to play today. [Denver Post]
- Meet the enemy, part the second: This is the third meeting of the season between the teams, which makes me a little sad because I will have little reason to read the amusing sarcasm at Mile High Hockey after this, such as this recap summarizing the team's Saturday win over the Edmonton Oilers. [Mile High Hockey]
- Around the Pacific Division: It's getting to the point where I'm almost feeling sorry for the Anaheim Ducks, who lost their seventh consecutive game, this time 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also, Luke Schenn scored instead of properly being assessed some sort of low-grade disciplinary action for his blatant rule 48 violation on Friday. I guess the more things change in the league office... [Reuters]
- It's been a hard week to be Jarome Iginla. First it's rumors about possibly being traded to Dallas. Then it's being sprayed with water from the Minnesota Wild bench. [Puck Daddy]
- Glen Gulutzan says the team is hoping for a "week or two week" injury for Lehtonen, which would line up with a relatively light portion of the schedule for the team, and also talks Andrew Raycroft and general team play. That vague enough for you?