The Chicago Blackhawks announce the starting goalie for tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets
Photo credit: ESPN
The Chicago Blackhawks will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow, at the United Center.
With news of Laurent Brossoit's continued absence from the lineup due to another surgery upcoming, the Blackhawks are in a desperate place.
If they utilize goalie Arvid Soderblom, they risk having to use waivers to send him down to the AHL. But it'd be a stretch to consider calling up players like Drew Commesso from Rockford, or Mitchell Weeks from Indy to fill the gap when Petr Mrazek can rest.
Instead of radical rest, it seems Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks are ready to drive Mrazek into the ground.
He'll be starting tomorrow against the Blue Jackets, with the possibility of Soderblom his 57th game in the NHL against Toronto on Monday according to Charlie Roumeliotis.
Gone are the days when goalies like Martin Brodeur played 70 or more games out of the year, or so we thought.
Tomorrow will be the 18th game he's played for the Blackhawks this season. And he's been a solid netminder, for the team all season.
Among 62 goalies with at least six appearances this season, Mrazek's .911 save percentage ranks 18th. He's following up a .907 mark from last season, which came behind a far more porous Hawks defense than this one. He has saved 5.1 more goals than expected, based on the quality and quantity of shots faced, and ranks 13th in the NHL in that category, according to Natural Stat Trick.
And to confirm how rarely he is beaten by shots that should be saved, he ranks 13th with a .972 save percentage against low-danger shots, having stopped 204 of 210.
And to confirm how rarely he is beaten by shots that should be saved, he ranks 13th with a .972 save percentage against low-danger shots, having stopped 204 of 210.
But instead of giving Mrazek a chance to breathe, the Blackhawks will run this workhorse into oblivion.
A wrist shot by Jared Spurgeon from 59 feet out late in the second period eluded Mrazek's weak attempt at a glove save and went in, dealing the Hawks their 13th loss in their last 14 games against the Wild and their seventh consecutive defeat in Minnesota.
Maybe the Blackhawks should consider rolling with 3 goalies, instead of just two or instead use the Boston method, of 1A-1B? If they're going all-in on Soderblom with Brossoit being out the majority of the year, make it worth it.
Petr Mrazek has a 7-9-1 record, with a 2.66 GAA, and an .911 save percentage in 2024-2025.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 30 | 83 ANSWERS The Chicago Blackhawks announce the starting goalie for tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets If you were head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks wiould you use three goalies or make a call-up from the AHL or ECHL? | ||
| Three goalies | 38 | 45.8 % |
| Call-ups(AHL, ECHL) | 45 | 54.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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