If Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville knows which goalie he’s going to start for Game 3 against the Nashville Predators after another rough outing for Corey Crawford, he’s not telling.
For now, he’s just saying “we’ll see.”
Joel Quenneville on whether he might go back to Scott Darling: “We’ll see."
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) April 18, 2015
Q on goalie situation for G3: "We’ll talk about it as we go along here tonight and tomorrow, and go with what gives us our best chance.”
— Mark Potash (@MarkPotash) April 18, 2015
Looking at recent history alone, it would seem to point in Scott Darling’s favor. While Crawford has the Stanley Cup on his resume, Darling was perfect in relief in Game 1 while Crawford’s been ... not.
It’s not just these past two games against the Predators (in which he’s allowed nine goals in four periods), either. As Liam McHugh notes, Crawford has allowed 3+ goals in his last eight postseason starts:
The Blackhawks might be a little lucky in some ways to head back to Chicago with their series tied 1-1 against Nashville, but there’s only so much that can sugarcoat a 6-2 loss.
Whether he goes with Crawford or Darling, it would be surprising if Quenneville deems the decision as “easy” as his choice was for Game 2, though. (As Keith Jones said, it’s a “brainer.”)