Stars' Lehtonen making late audition for next season
Kari Lehtonen hopes it isn't too little, too late.
The Dallas Stars netminder has evidently saved his best for the season's closing weeks, using the stretch drive to string together his top performances of the campaign.
On Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Lehtonen recorded his second shutout in his past six outings, turning aside 25 Carolina shots.
No doubt Lehtonen has come on strong in his last half-dozen starts:
| Date | Opponent | GA | Saves | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | Sharks | 0 | 30 | 1.000 |
| March 23 | Blackhawks | 2 | 24 | .923 |
| March 24 | Sharks | 1 | 20 | .952 |
| March 26 | Devils | 1 | 20 | .952 |
| March 28 | Canadiens | 4 | 32 | .889 |
| April 1 | Hurricanes | 0 | 25 | 1.000 |
In all, Lehtonen is 4-1-1 in his past six outings, putting together a stellar .950 save percentage alongside a minuscule 1.32 goals-against average. The Finnish netminder was honored Monday as the second star of the week.
Like fellow Stars goalie Antti Niemi, Lehtonen is signed through next season, but the possibility remains neither could return as the Stars look to reshape their crease.
But Lehtonen's recent stretch may be enough to recover some of his lost shine. After rotating his netminders for much of the season, Stars coach Lindy Ruff finally has some consistency between the pipes, and Lehtonen's late-season push could be enough to save his spot next year.
Following Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Hurricanes, Ruff told reporters, "When the guys in front of him play well and limit the high-quality opportunities, Kari is the type of goaltender that can feed off them."
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