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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteNHL teams do not follow one league-wide goalie rotation or a fixed rule for choosing a starter. Coaches weigh performance, health, workload, the schedule and travel, game importance, and how each goalie responds to rest versus playing regularly. A tandem may split starts, alternate for a stretch, or give one goalie a larger share; the plan can change from game to game.
What a goalie rotation means
A rotation is a team’s pattern for sharing starts, not necessarily strict alternation. Some clubs commonly split the two games of a back-to-back; others alternate goalies for a run, lean more heavily on their leading option, or adjust around health, travel, and form. Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol described a back-to-back split as typical, but that is not a league requirement. Seattle Kraken/NHL.com, January 5, 2022
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When fans ask, “Who is your starting goaltender?”, they may mean the goalie expected to get the most starts, or simply who will play the next game. Those are not always the same: a team can have a nominal No. 1 while making a one-game choice based on the calendar or a goalie’s condition.
What goes into choosing a starter
The decision is a coaching judgment, not a published NHL formula. Goalie coach David Marcoux has described the considerations as including standings, travel, schedule, prior and expected workload, and injuries. Coaches also assess performance and the goalie’s physical and mental state. NHL.com, “To play or to rest your starting goalie”
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- Performance and consistency: Recent play matters, but one game’s result is only one part of an evaluation.
- Health and workload: Staff consider injuries, recent starts, recovery, and what work lies ahead.
- Game and standings context: A team pursuing a playoff place may rely more on its most consistent goalie; after securing a berth, it may have more room to plan a rest start.
- Schedule and travel: Back-to-backs, road trips, late arrivals, and time-zone changes can affect recovery opportunities.
- Individual rhythm: Some goalies prefer frequent games; others benefit from extra rest and practice.
- Readiness of the other goalie: A viable backup or tandem partner gives coaches more options to share work.
The goalie coach evaluates the players and recommends a plan; the head coach makes the lineup decision. As goalie coach Mitch Korn put it, the goalie coach’s role is to provide the head coach with information and a view, while the head coach chooses who plays. NHL.com, “Goalie coaches have transformed role, position over past 30 years”
Why back-to-backs often lead to a split
Playing on consecutive nights leaves little time to recover, so coaches often use the second goalie in a back-to-back. But the evidence about the performance cost of consecutive starts is not a settled league-wide rule. A 2013 analysis by Eric Tulsky, reported by Seattle Kraken writer Alison Lukan in 2022, found a just-over-11-percent reduction in save percentage for a goalie playing both nights. Lukan also noted that later analyses by Andrew Thomas of SportsMEDIA Technology and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic found a smaller impact. The older figure is therefore a historical estimate, not a reliable universal prediction for an individual goalie or game. Seattle Kraken/NHL.com, January 5, 2022
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Back-to-back splits are common, not compulsory. A coach may keep the same goalie if the matchup, form, health, or team situation warrants it, or alter the plan for a long trip or an upcoming stretch of games.
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Common ways teams share starts
| Approach | How it works | Typical trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Give the leading goalie a larger share | The coach starts the more consistent or preferred option more often, while the other goalie fills selected games. | Can prioritize the team’s preferred option, but requires managing that goalie’s workload and recovery. |
| Alternate as a tandem | Two goalies share starts in a regular pattern for a stretch. | Provides both goalies with games and rest; the pattern may not fit every schedule or goalie. |
| Adjust game by game | The staff changes the split in response to form, health, standings, travel, workload, and the goalies’ individual needs. | Allows flexibility, but does not promise either goalie a fixed interval between starts. |
These are options rather than ranked formulas. Available reporting gives examples and coaching perspectives, not universal percentages or workload thresholds.
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Rest, practice, and playoff decisions
Rest does not mean every goalie needs the same gap between games. During the 2021 playoffs, Vegas alternated Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner for 21 consecutive games. Fleury said the pattern suited him because he could play, rest and practice before returning; coach Pete DeBoer said the condensed schedule meant each goalie was still playing twice a week. Other teams in that playoff period leaned on a top goalie instead. The contrast shows that a rotation is a team- and goalie-specific choice, not a standard playoff rule. NHL.com, May 6, 2021
Teams can also manage workload away from the game lineup. NHL reporting has described sitting a non-starting goalie so he can have a full night off, arranging travel to allow rest before a start, using three goalies, and limiting demanding practice segments. In 2014-15, Devan Dubnyk started 38 consecutive games; during that stretch, Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom handled most practices. That is a historical example of one way a team managed practice workload, not evidence that a 38-game run is advisable. NHL.com, 2025
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Emergency backups are separate from the rotation
NHL.com reported on October 2, 2026, that every team must roster an emergency backup goalie for the 2026-27 season. The report says an emergency backup dresses with the team as No. 00, practices and travels with it, and must meet eligibility limits: the goalie must not have played an NHL game under a standard player contract, played more than 80 professional games, or played professional hockey in the previous three seasons. This emergency role covers availability; it does not set how a team chooses between its regular goalies. NHL.com, October 2, 2026
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- CHROME-WELDED STEEL: Specially designed with a chrome-welded steel cage for premium protection during street-hockey games
- QUICK-SNAP STRAPS: This hockey helmet goes on and off smoothly in seconds, thanks to its easy-to-use quick-snap elastic straps
- BALL & STREET HOCKEY APPROVED: These hockey goalie masks are not HECC/CSA-certified and are only made for street-hockey play with a 2 ⅝” ball. Not certified for ice hockey or any other type of puck play
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