Coming into the 2017-18 season, goaltending was always going to be a major area of focus for the Carolina Hurricanes. The team has had a bottom-five team save percentage in each of the last three years, and poor play from Cam Ward and Eddie Lack was a key factor in the team’s eighth-consecutive postseason absence last year.
To rectify that, in the offseason, general manager Ron Francis shipped out Lack and acquired Scott Darling from the Chicago Blackhawks. Darling put up stellar numbers in a backup role with Chicago last year, with a 27-18-5 record, .924 save percentage and 2.38 goals against average.
Much of the focus on the team’s netminding this year has, rightfully, been on Darling and how he can handle his first starting job. However, perhaps equally important is how the team balances the workload between Darling and his backup, Ward.
With Darling never having started more than 27 games in an NHL season before, it’s crucial that head coach Bill Peters and the Canes manage him properly, to avoid him breaking down or getting injured. For Ward, who has struggled as the Canes’ primary goalie the past few seasons, reducing his workload substantially and removing the pressure of being the “go-to guy” in net will strengthen him in a backup role.
Four games into the season, the Canes may have found the formula for doing exactly that. Darling started the first three games, and, eye-test wise, so far so good for the former Hawk. While his numbers are not exactly stellar (2.58 goals against average, .893 save percentage), they do not reflect his play.
That save percentage is being dragged down by Darling allowing a four-spot in the team’s season-opening 5-4 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild. However, taking a quick look at the four goals, a backdoor power-play tap-in he had little to no chance to stop, a pair of breakaway tallies and a goal off a mad scramble in the crease with an opposing player bearing down on him leaves little to pin on Darling. He came through when it mattered most, stopping all three Wild shooters in the skills competition to earn the win.
He also played well in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 2-1 regulation defeat to the Winnipeg Jets, making several sharp stops. He allowed the team to earn a point against Columbus and gave it the chance to do the same against Winnipeg. That’s all you can ask of your starting goalie, and so far Darling has provided it.
For the team’s fourth game against the Edmonton Oilers, Peters decided to give Ward his first start, which paid off tremendously. Coming off a long layoff since his last preseason action, Ward was spectacular in Tuesday night’s 5-3 win, turning aside 48 of 51 Oilers shots. More rest and less pressure looks to be just what the doctor ordered for Ward.
Giving Darling the bulk of the starts, while still mixing in Ward three to four times a month seems to be the way to go for Carolina. Let Darling take the reins, and allow a rested Ward to spell him when needed. If the Canes can stick to that formula, and get solid goaltending from both netminders with a balanced workload for each, Carolina should be able to get the improved play in net it needs to reach the postseason for the first time since 2009.
