The Chicago Blackhawks need to start using two goaltenders. It gives them a much better chance to win games.
The Chicago Blackhawks earned two wins in Southern California over the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. That ended their long road trip on a high note and they were ready to come home.
It was clear that those two wins resulted from good goaltending for Chicago. Petr Mrazek played well against the Kings and Arvid Soderblom was excellent against the Ducks.
When Mrazek made his start against LA, it was his sixth straight. He has been good but it’s not like he’s a Vezina caliber guy getting that many starts in a row. Arvid Soderblom came into his matchup against the Ducks only starting twice before that.
In his first two starts, Soderblom was as good as you can ask a goalie to be. Then, he had a dominating win over the Ducks. He needs to start playing a lot more. Luke Richardson must begin running two goalies consistently. Having a duo that you can trust makes it a lot easier for them and the team.
Mrazek may still be the “number-one” but Soderblom needs to go a lot more than 3 out of every 13 games. It may even be true that Soderblom has reached a point in his development where he can handle being a high-end number one. That would need to be proven over time but he’s on the right track.
Right now, in 10 starts, Mrazek is 4-6-0 with a 3.02 goals against average and a .900 save percentage. Those are decent numbers for being on an irresponsible defensive team.
As for Soderblom, he is only 1-1-1 through three starts but he has a 2.35 goals against and a .926 save percentage. Those are great numbers and he deserves a shot to play more because of it.
Chicago’s next game comes against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. One day later, they play the Dallas Stars. There is no reason to start either one of those guys in both of the games. Each of them should get one.
As mentioned before, Chicago should be running a two-goalie system for the rest of the season. Mrazek has been great and Soderblom is proving why he was a highly touted prospect.
Goaltending has helped them bounce back a little bit following the bad start so they might as well keep the flow going. Things are trending up.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.