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New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault Wise To Put Faith In Cam Talbot

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USA TODAY SPORTS- Adam Hunger

Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

As the New York Rangers emerge from the tunnel and skate out onto the ice on Thursday, it will mark the first time they do so at Staples Center since Alec Martinez and the Los Angeles Kings crushed New York’s dream of a Stanley Cup last June.

Thursday’s game is being hyped as a “Stanley Cup rematch,” but the man who brought the Blueshirts to the brink of victory will not take to his rightful place between the pipes. Rather, Cam Talbot has been given the starting nod over franchise goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

Before departing for Anaheim, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault stated that Talbot would “get a start in one of the California games.” The Rangers are seeking revenge for the Stanley Cup heartbreak they received at the hands of the Kings, and mathematically, Talbot and not Lundqvist gives the Blueshirts the best opportunity to win.

In a study conducted between the 2011-2013 seasons (2013 was a 48-game lockout shortened season), statistics indicate that a goalie should never play in back-to-back games. Being a goaltender is the most physically and mentally taxing position in the sport of hockey. The decay is most visible in the second game of the back-to-back, as the fatigued goalie sees his save percentage dip by an average of one percent.

While one percent may not seem significant, with that decline, 75 percent of fresh backups post a higher save percentage than the tiring starter. In the NHL, it can be the difference between victory and defeat.

In a league where points are at a premium, teams have taken notice of these statistics. Desperate to gain any advantage,  the reliability of the backup goalie is essential. Of the 464 sets of back-to-back games played throughout the NHL last season, 62 percent of them saw teams split the workload amongst two goalies.

Furthermore, playoff teams opted to play their backup in one of the games 65 percent of the time, and those that advanced to the second and third rounds of the playoffs played two goalies in a staggering 68 percent of their back-to-backs.

It’s for this very reason that the Rangers finalized a one-year, $1.4 million contract with Talbot that will keep him in The Big Apple through next season. The Blueshirts’ brass had actually hoped they could come to terms on a multi-year extension with their backup goalie.

So, why not play Talbot in order to give King Henrik his shot at redemption in Los Angeles? Anaheim leads the league with 58 points. Arriving at the Honda Center with victories in 10 of their last 11 games, the Rangers viewed the Wednesday night rivalry showdown with the Anaheim Ducks as a statement game.

Not passing on the opportunity to silence Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in front of a National audience, Lundqvist led with Rangers with a 24-save performance. The 4-1 triumph was essential, as New York realized the value of obtaining two points in the opening game of a critical California trip.

As the Rangers took to the freeway destined for a Thursday night throwdown with the defending champs, the Blueshirts’ net in the Staples Center belongs to Talbot. In addition to the overwhelming statistics in his favor, Talbot has earned this start in the City of Angels. In his last four games, No. 33 has posted a 3-1 record, and each of those victories came in the form of a shutout.

As well as Lundqvist played last night, he will benefit from having two days off. Lundqvist took a rising Rene Bourque wrist shot directly to the left shoulder. Although it stung him at first, the King persevered and finished the game. Lundqvist’s shoulder contusion is just one of many bruises a netminder must endure on a nightly basis.

By constantly healing Lundqvist, the Rangers can preserve him for another Cup run deep into June. This is vital as he has played a lot of hockey over the past two seasons, even though 2013 was a condensed and lockout shortened season. Last year, Henrik journeyed nine time zones East of New York to Sochi, Russia, where he helped lead Sweden to the Gold Medal Game. The King returned with a drive that carried the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If Vigneault succeeds in keeping Lundqvist fresh, he will be playing at an all world level while playing for hockey’s most cherished prize.

Adam Feld is a Rangers writer for www.RantSports.com.  Follow him on Twitter @trublunyblog.  Like him on facebook or add him to your network on google

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