Hawks' Goalie Was (Sta)Locked and Loaded

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Stef
October 14, 2022 (2:05)

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We all knew there would be a transition period. No one is expecting a complete rebuild overnight. Or even over a whole summer. But with Game 2 of the '22-'23 season over and done with, just one full strength goal might be nice.
That being said, there are positives to focus on within the team; one being the standout performance of 35 year old Alex Stalock in the Vegas Home Opener loss. Yes, it was a loss, but the Minnesota native's 36 saves proved that he was (Sta)locked in for the night with a .973SV%.

Only Paul Cotter's puck managed to sneak past him in the second period, while the rest of the 37 shots he faced were met with his stick, found their way into his glove, or smack dab into his stomach.

Having lost last year's goalie tandem of Fleury and Lankinen, and Collin Delia to boot, the Hawks turned to vets Petr Mrázek and Alex Stalock. Although Alex is 5 years older than Mrázek, his age and experience seem to be an asset, rather than a hindrance. Stalock's career has mainly seen him shuffled between Minnesota and San Jose, with a short stint in Toronto. After being picked by San Jose in the 4th round of the 2005 draft, he spent 5 years with the team before being traded to the Maple Leafs in mid-season of 2016. Finishing that season in the AHL, Stalock was signed as a free agent by his home state in July of 2016, and then got a 2 year contract with the Wild in February of 2017. He played 28 games as the backup to Devan Dubnyck for his first year and in the '21-'22 season, finally reached the 20 wins in a season mark for the first time in his career.

https://www.nhl.com/blackhawks/video/game-highlights/t-277443702

Personally, this is the first time I've ever seen him play, and I thought he held his own against the onslaught of the Vegas offense. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him play more, and how he develops throughout the season.