In many ways, the hardest position to properly fill in hockey is the role of
the backup goaltender. Not only do you need to find an NHL-caliber goalie who
is able to perform without having a consistent playing schedule, but he also
needs to be a good enough player to step in should the starter suffer an
injury. Also, when a team lacks confidence in its backup, it can create a
situation where the starter is overworked, often causing play to slip by the
end of the season.Last year, Peter Budaj appeared to be the backup of the near
future for the Lightning. After struggling in the early part of the season and
suffering a major leg injury, he lost that role with the franchise. (Robert
Mayer-USA TODAY Sports)

Nowhere has the struggle to find a perfect backup been more prevalent than
it';s been for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since the 2012-13 season, when
Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman started reshaping the goaltending
future of the franchise, the team has been unable to find consistent backup
options options to aid its overworked starters. To start the 2018-19 season,
though, the Yzerman may have finally solved this pressing issue with Louis
Domingue.Domingue Established His Role With the Lightning

For a variety of reasons, Domingue could be the perfect backup goaltender for
the Lightning this season. First and foremost, he was nothing worse than a good
 goalie while backing up Andrei Vasilevskiy during the second half of the
2017-18 season. This may sound like an underwhelming praise, but Domingue';s
seven wins and .917 save percentage in 11 games are some of the best numbers
posted by a backup since Vasilevskiy was replacing Ben Bishop in the 2013-14
season.After being traded to the Lightning during the 2017-18 season, Domingue
took over the role of backup while on a call-up from the Syracuse Crunch. (Amy
Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

While 11 games is a limited sample size, it still is enough for Lightning head
coach Jon Cooper to start off the season having confidence in Domingue';s
abilities. If he can continue playing well to start off the season, there will
be little hesitation to give him more opportunities to start instead of
overworking Vasilevskiy again. Even if he is only able to win 50 percent of his
 starts, he will be more than earning his role with the franchise.Domingue
Fighting for His NHL Future

Secondly, Domingue is a relatively young goaltender who will be fighting for
his career while backing up Vasilevskiy. Assuming that he is able to complete
the two-year contract he signed this offseason, he will be a 28-year-old
goaltender hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020.

If you look at recent history, this is around the age when career backup
goalies like Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta were given a chance to take over the
starting role with a new team. So, if Domingue is able to post strong numbers
in Tampa Bay, he could potentially parlay that into a big free-agent contract
with a team in desperate need of goaltending. In theory, this should bring out
his best play at each start, since he will have a limited window to showcase
his skills to a future employer.While his play for the Arizona Coyotes was
never exceptional, Domingue still started in over 70 games, giving him some
needed NHL experience. (Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

This scenario is a bit of a departure for the Lightning. When Yzerman signed
goaltenders in the past, he brought in experienced players like Evgeni Nabokov
and Peter Budaj, who were meant to not only start games but act as mentors as
well. This made sense at the time of the signings; since both Bishop and
Vasilevskiy were both unproven starters, these players struggled to find a
place with the team, leading to their eventual replacement.

While one will never doubt the fight in a veteran player like Budaj or Nabokov,
 they were in the twilight of their careers. Domingue, on the other hand, could
 just be at the start of his if he finds success. This has to create a
different level of desperation and drive in a player, which could be exactly
what the Lightning need out of their backup.Lightning Need Domingue to Reach
Ultimate Goal

It may be a bit of an overstatement, but if the Lightning want to finally get
over the hump this year, they need Domingue to be successful. Yes, they could
still be one of the dominant teams in the NHL by only relying on Vasilevskiy to
 carry them again, but that isn';t a recipe for long-term success. As we saw in
 2017-18, the NHL season is long and grueling, and even the best starter can
wear down by the second half of the season.Despite having a Vezina-caliber
season during his first full year as an NHL starter, Andrei Vasilevskiy largely
 struggled in the second half of the 2017-18 season. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

This means that the situation is pretty straightforward for Domingue and the
Lightning. If he can reduce Vasilevskiy';s overall playtime to 58 to 60 games a
 year, while winning at least 12 to 14 of his starts, it could pay dividends
for his future while also increasing the Lightning';s chances to win a Stanley
Cup. This may be a tall task given the franchise';s recent struggles with
backup goaltending, but it appears the Yzerman may have finally found the right
 man for the job.

The post Domingue Is Key Piece of Lightning Puzzle appeared first on The Hockey
 Writers.

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