Stars utilizing two-goalie schedule with both riding hot streaks

The instability of goaltending might be one of the most volatile chemistry equations in all of sports.
So, when the Stars decided to go with Braden Holtby Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, there was a tendency to step back and grab the protective goggles.

Holtby had been nursing an injury and looked good on the second night of a back-to-back against the Arizona Coyotes Saturday, but Jake Oettinger was on a roll and had sort of taken the Stars through a very rough patch back to a place of confident comfort, you wondered if this was maybe messing with the hockey gods and all of the things you hear about riding a wave.
But, as Holtby played in his 500th NHL game, and Rick Bowness coached in his 2,500th, everything seemed to mesh perfectly, and the potential explosion became a celebratory cake.
Go figure.
Holtby stopped 39 of 40 shots and looked spectacular in doing so. The veteran was in a terrible slump before being shut down for a lower-body injury. He went 0-4-0 with a 3.97 GAA and .879 save percentage, and Bowness said the injury definitely affected him. When he came back and looked pretty darn sharp, the coach wasn't really surprised. Bowness often tells the media that there are things inside the room that outsiders don't know, and this was clearly one of them. It also was a great sign for the team going forward.
In the six games where Holtby has seemingly been healthy, he has a 1.69 GAA and .951 save percentage. Not too shabby. Oh yeah, and Oettinger? He's 5-0-0 with a 1.41 GAA and .951 save percentage.
The Stars can live with that, right?
While we all wanted to jump right back to Oettinger on Tuesday, the alternation proved pretty successful. And Bowness said the plan is to do the same thing going forward, with Holtby and Oettinger splitting the next four games.
That makes sense. The Stars have three sets of back-to-back games in the next three weeks, so having two solid goalies is a great plan. It also makes sense to get both goalies playing. Holtby worked his way back to speed with a cameo against Colorado and a full game at Arizona. Then, when he was forced to see 19 third-period shots against Carolina, he was on top of his game.
Holtby stopped 16 of 17 shots in the third period, including a hectic series where he was on his belly and kicking his legs up to make a "scorpion" save that he learned last season in Vancouver while playing with Thatcher Demko. It was out of character, but it sure was a nice sign to the 32-year-old goalie that he can still learn at his age.
"You try to get something up. I'm not as good as some guys are. I kind of learned it from Thatcher last year because he's good at it. My old body doesn't bend that way. You just hope he shoots it there."
It was a good moment in a season that's had its challenges. Likewise, Oettinger continues to learn something every day as he goes from untested rookie last season to veteran who must handle anything this year. His win Thursday was a great example of that.
"The way they're playing, there's no way we don't do that," Bowness said of the plan to rely on the two hot goalies.
Of course, all of that leaves Anton Khudobin as the third goalie drawing a healthy scratch each game. While he's delt with illness at times, Khudobin's been pretty healthy. His performance simply has been inconsistent. Khudobin is 3-3-1 with a 3.73 GAA and .873 save percentage.
That's tough for the 35-year-old, but all parties know that you earn your starts in the NHL.
"Right now, those two guys are playing better than he had, and he's just going to have to work hard," Bowness said. "If he gets his named called again, be ready to go and take advantage of it. That's all he can do, and he's doing a good job of it."
Bowness added that Khudobin is handling things the right way. The veteran shows up to practice every day and works hard.
"He's been put in a tough situation, and we get that," Bowness said. "All he can do is be a pro. That means you come to the rink every day with a great attitude and just go to work. Control what he can control, and that's his attitude and his work habits. I give him full marks."
The same with Oettinger when he was sent to the minors. The same with Holtby when he was forced to find his game after an injury. It's kind of a good sign for the Stars right now - they're pushing the right buttons in this goaltending experiment.
Don't miss your chance to see the Stars conclude their homestand next Monday against the Arizona Coyotes at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets now!
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.