"I tweaked the knee a little bit," said Driedger, who was moved from the injured list to the Kraken's active roster Wednesday. "I didn't really think it was going to be a huge deal.
"I kind of felt it during the game. Woke the next day and it was 'no bueno.' So I pretty much realized I'm hurt and we started rehab."
Driedger explained that goaltenders need to be in position, kneeling on their leg pads, to protect the net as the puck is proximate to goal posts.
"You can't slap a knee] brace on it," Driedger said. "It was a minor injury. [Returning to play] was about getting me comfortable in positions. When you go down in the butterfly [move to cover all ice-level space
. In some cases, that choice is difficult.
No matter who starts in the net during the postseason, the goaltender will have to earn the right to remain the starter based on whether the team is winning.
"Riding the hot hand" is the usual strategy, though with goalie depth and maybe leading in a series, coaches will trust the other member of the team's goalie tandem to start. This move keeps the 1A goaltender sharp and gives the hot-hand goalie a breather.
For now, Kraken fans can monitor the workload split between Grubauer and Driedger with 12 games in 26 November nights starting Thursday.
