Conklin's job in goal is on the line
Jimmy Howard’s broken right index finger will either be the best or worst case scenario for Red Wings backup goalie Ty Conklin. Not that Conklin – or anybody else for that matter – wanted to see Howard get injured, but in pro sports it comes down to opportunity.
If anybody needs an opportunity to prove themselves, it’s Ty Conklin.
Since he backstopped the Wings to a 3-0 victory at Colorado back on October 8, the 35-year-old goaltender has looked extremely uncomfortable patrolling the Detroit net.
Conklin has played in 10 games thus far, eight being starts, and is 3-5 with a GAA of 3.20, a save percentage of .886 and a shutout. He has won two of his last three starts, which has calmed the fears of some within the Detroit organization, but the Wings are still considering adding a netminder at the trade deadline.
Coupled with the news that Howard will be out for more than two games – that could become a four to six week timeline – has me guessing that Ken Holland and Co. have just moved goaltending to the top of the priority list.
If Conklin didn’t feel the heat before, he must certainly be feeling it now.
Despite having a six-game losing streak early in the year, a subpar season from Henrik Zetterberg and a .500 road record, the Wings, in a weird sort of way, have put together a terrific season.
Detroit is vying for the best record in the NHL, or at the very least the top spot in the Western Conference. They’ve done it with team defense, balanced scoring, a defensive corps that has chipped in offensively and an astounding home record (20-2-1). But the main ingredient to their success has been the play of Howard.
If there was one position the Wings couldn’t afford a long-term injury to, it was goaltending; unless Conklin can become the goalie he was during his first stint in Detroit.
During the 2008-09 season, Conklin appeared in 40 games, compiled a 25-11-2 record with GAA of 2.51, a save percentage of .909 and six shutouts. He played so well that the Wings were outbid for his services in the free agent market by division rival St. Louis.
Playing for the Blues the last two seasons, Conklin played well at first, but his second year was less than stellar – an 8-8 record, a GAA of 3.22, a save percentage of .881 and two shutouts.
He was signed as a free agent by the Wings in the offseason, only after Tomas Vokoun jilted them in favor of the Washington Capitals. At the time of his signing, there were whispers that Father Time may be catching up with Conklin, and his play this season has done nothing to quiet those whispers.
After Saturday’s game in Edmonton and Monday’s in Phoenix, the Wings return to the Joe Louis Arena for a six-game homestand. Out of their final 28 games, 18 are at the friendly confines of JLA.
Considering the Wings' record at home, it appeared likely Detroit would be in excellent shape to close out the season on a roll. With Howard being out at least two, and perhaps up to six weeks, the Wings roll could be all downhill.
It’s unclear how long Detroit’s brass will give Conklin to prove he can be the man between the pipes. My hunch is it will depend on the severity of Howard’s injury, but conventional wisdom also indicates it won't be too long.
With that in mind, there are several veteran goalies with playoff experience Detroit would love to pry loose from their current teams: Jose Theodore, Nikolai Khabibulin, Evgeni Nabokov and my choice, J.S. Giguere, just name a few.
Availability, however, along with contractual status, trade demands and a willingness among other teams to help out the Wings, will all be major factors in acquiring a top shelf backup goalie.
For now, it’s all about Ty Conklin. If he can come through, then the goaltending issue is not an issue at all. If Conklin cannot respond to the challenge, a possible dream season could turn into a horror show on ice.