A terrible scene in Florida tonight as Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood was stretchered off the ice. After making two spectacular saves on Anton Lundell’s breakaway chances, Wedgewood threw off his glove and grabbed his lower back immediately. It is not immediately clear what caused the injury, but everyone in the hockey community is wishing him the best.
Scott Wedgewood was stretchered off the ice after suffering an apparent injury while making two wonderful saves on an Anton Lundell breakaway. pic.twitter.com/254F3tV57T
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 18, 2022
Scott Wedgewood Leaves Game On Stretcher
The 6’2″ goaltender has played in seven games for the Stars this season, with a 3W-3L-1OTL record. A .903 save percentage with a 3.21 GAA aren’t horrible numbers for a backup goalie. Plus, it’s early in the season, so one bad loss could really inflate a goalie’s numbers. Wedgewood has spent five years in the big leagues, playing a total of 84 games with the New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, and the Stars. His 26-36-15 record shows a backup goalie who is decent in a pinch. A .906 save percentage and a 3.11 GAA over his career back up his career record.
What This Means For the Stars
Scott Wedgewood leaving this game on a stretcher means one thing: he will be out for a while. Months, likely. While everyone in the Stars organization is hoping for a speedy recovery, they will need to find a replacement in the meantime. Goaltender Matt Murray (no, not that one) will likely step in as backup. Murray has played six games with the Texas Stars in the AHL. He has a .912 save percentage with a 2.56 GAA. Meanwhile, star goalie Jake Oettinger will keep up his workhorse load for the foreseeable future.
The Stars need to hope their schedule is light enough that Oettinger can play all of the games. Unlikely, however, so they will need to find a way to win games with a goalie who has never seen NHL ice time. It will be a tough challenge for this club.
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