The process of extracting the Ducks’ starting goaltender on any given day from Randy Carlyle has morphed from a source of frustration to a running joke. It gained speed at Tuesday’s morning skate, when Carlyle faced a legitimate choice of who to start with the Ducks facing back-to-back games today against Nashville and Thursday in Phoenix.
Carlyle did not reveal his starter, but Jonas Hiller looked every bit the backup by sticking around to stop shots well after Jean-Sebastien Giguere left the ice first. Hiller has gotten the nod the last three games, posting a solid .922 save percentage, 2.33 goals-against average and a deceptive 1-2 record.
That makes the decision to bench Hiller for either game that much tougher. But Carlyle wouldn’t back down from his mantra that Giguere — or any veteran, for that matter — needs game time, even if he’s struggling.
“You can’t expect a player to get his game totally in practice,” the coach said. “Players are going to tell you, the more they play the better they play. As a coach sometimes you’re always questioning whether you made the right decision here, or the right decision there. We feel we have two quality goaltenders, 1-A and 1-B, and whatever one we decide to use, will give us the opportunity to have success.”
Giguere response to the situation was more than diplomatic.
“I understand sometimes it’s a tough call for Randy whether he’s going to play me or not,” he said. “Considering the way Jonas has been playing, I’m sure it’s a tough call sometimes.”
Giguere’s season-long struggles have been well-documented. Though he appeared to be coming around in February, posting back-to-back wins on two occasions while getting the bulk of the starts, Giguere has backslid in recent weeks. In his last four starts going back to Feb. 26, he’s 1-2-1 with an .882 save percentage and 3.50 goals-against average.
Yet he might be the man tonight, and again down the stretch when the Ducks face three sets of back-to-back games.
“As always, your goaltender probably bears most of the pressure because he’s the last line of defense,” Carlyle said. “In some situations that Giguere’s played, his level of play has mirrored what our team’s play has been. It’s unfair to heap criticism on one person in our lineup. We’re a team and we share those responsibilities. We have to play to a higher level.”