Casey DeSmith went the distance for the Dallas Stars on Monday night and turned away 30 of 31 St. Louis shots.
The Stars won 2-1 at American Airlines Center for their second straight preseason victory. Brandon Halverson dressed as the backup and never saw the ice.
Glen Gulutzan liked what he saw. "It's the same ol' Case," the Stars coach said, calling his goalie a competitor who's vocal in the locker room and has "earned it."
Earned what, exactly? Gulutzan didn't spell it out, and that's the part worth watching this fall.
The best moment came in the second period. Dallas spent a full two minutes two men short, wrapped around some regular penalty kill time, and DeSmith made six saves through it.
He had help. Trey Taylor, who's pushing for an NHL job, was among the Stars getting in front of pucks while logging 19:44.
"Some of the young guys blocking shots, you love to see that," DeSmith said. "That's the kind of compete that we're going to need."
Nils Lundkvist calls DeSmith the best backup in the league
Nils Lundkvist didn't hedge either. The defenseman, who scored the winner, called his goaltender "probably the best backup in the league" before adding, "He's been unreal."
Thomas Harley scored the other Dallas goal. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson and Dylan Hryckowian each picked up an assist.
Rantanen put the tandem in plain terms. "You're confident no matter who is in goal and that's a great feeling," the forward said.
That comfort comes with real money on one side of the crease. Jake Oettinger carries an $8,250,000 cap hit, and the guy behind him just made a statement.
And Gulutzan should lean on DeSmith more this season. A restaurant with two great cooks doesn't make the head chef work every double shift.
St. Louis got a goal from Jonatan Berggren and little else. Joel Hofer stopped 17 of 18 over 40 minutes before Georgi Romanov took the loss.
The Blues are now 0-2 this preseason. Jim Montgomery's group hosts Chicago on Thursday.
Dallas doesn't get much rest. The Stars host Minnesota tonight, and Wyatt Johnston will look to cash in after firing five shots on Monday without a point.
DeSmith called Monday a chance to "sink my teeth into it," because practice can't simulate "the speed, the bounces, making reads."
Oettinger still holds the crease. But if the veteran keeps playing like this, Gulutzan is going to face a louder question about who gets the next big one.
Should Glen Gulutzan give Casey DeSmith more starts than Jake Oettinger in October?
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