Faced with a two-goal deficit — and the prospect of going to Bell Centre in a 2-0 series hole — Bruce Boudreau made the only move he could make, pulling goalie Jose Theodore and replacing him with backup Semyon Varlamov on Saturday night.
Now, if the Capitals hope to make a run this postseason, Boudreau must stick with his guy.
Several factors went into the decision to bench Theodore in Game 2 at Verizon Center. Two stick out: Theodore had allowed goals on the first two shots he faced. And the Caps needed a jump-start. Aside from channeling Earl Weaver and getting himself tossed out of the game, Boudreau didn’t have many options.
But now that Varlamov is starting — and now that the Caps lead the series — Boudreau needs to keep him in goal. In pulling Theodore so quickly and giving Varlamov the nod in Game 3, Boudreau made it clear which goalie he trusted in Montreal. Replacing him later would send a message that he doesn’t know who to trust.
If history is any indication, Varlamov needs to stay in the lineup the rest of the way. Flipping goalies is not the way to win a Stanley Cup; it’s a great way to put your team in flux and send your fan base into cardiac arrest. If Varlamov comes out and gives up a few quick goals in Game 4 can Boudreau turn to Theodore in relief? Certainly. But he can’t rotate goalies all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. It simply will not work.
Eleven goalies have won the Stanley Cup over the past 15 years. None were part of a rotating system. There have been situations where the backup displaced the starter — notably Cam Ward over Martin Gerber in 2006 and Chris Osgood over Dominik Hasek in 2008 — but once a change is made, it’s usually final.
Juggling goalies — like rotating quarterbacks or going with the dreaded “closer-by-committee” — usually doesn’t end well. Boudreau should stick with Varlamov. It’s the only move to make.
