Malcolm Subban is set to be the Blackhawks’ starting keeper against the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers if Corey Crawford can’t do it.
“Obviously, it could end up being the opportunity of a lifetime,” Subban said Wednesday. “For me, it’s just taking it day by day and continuing to work hard and making sure I’m ready if I get the chance.”
Crawford twice Stanley mug champion with Chicago in 2013 and 2015, was declared “unfit to play” by the Blackhawks on Monday. The 35-year-old did not participate in the first three days of training camp and did not participate in Chicago Phase 2 voluntary training. He was 16-20-3 with an average of 2.77 goals against, and among the goalkeepers to play at least 40 games this season, he was tied for fifth in the NHL with a save percentage of .917.
The Blackhawks have four goalkeepers at camp with Subban, Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen, and Matt Tomkins. Coach Jeremy Colliton has rotated each of the top three during practice with the first group.
Monday: Subban / Delia
Tuesday: Subban / Lankinen
Wednesday: Delia / Lankinen
“Now we have a situation where we have talked about it being open competition for a seat, either the starting position or the backup when we started playoff time,” Colliton said. “The work ethic for all those guys has been good and that makes us feel good about the preparation they are doing to take advantage of that opportunity.”
Subban has the most NHL experience among the trio; He is 30-23-7 with a GAA of 2.97 and a save percentage of .899 in 66 games (60 starts) with Bruins, Golden Knights and Blackhawks. He was 9-7-3 with a GAA of 3.17 and a saving percentage of .890 this season with Vegas before being acquired in exchange for Robin Lehner on February 24. Subban did not face a shot in 70 seconds of relief for Chicago on March 3.
Delia is 7-5-3 with a GAA of 3.65 and a saving percentage of .906 in 18 NHL games (16 starts), all with the Blackhawks, but she did not play in the NHL this season. Lankinen and Tomkins have never played in the NHL.
Subban was the first goalkeeper in Chicago for volunteer training at Fifth Third Arena. He believes that extra time on the ice with the players and goalkeeping coach Jimmy Waite will benefit him.
“For me, especially as an explosive athlete, my endurance is what usually comes first, so I try to stay above my endurance,” Subban said. “We were skating for three or four weeks and I thought I was back to the small things. Then I got on the ice with Jimmy for the first time and realized that I still had a lot of things to work on. But getting out there and trying to correct those little bad habits that are formed and just going back to the game form every skate will help. ”
