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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteNHL teams do not follow a league-wide goalie rotation formula. Coaches choose a starter by weighing performance, health, rest, travel, the schedule, the opponent, workload and the other goalie’s readiness. Workload management also reaches beyond who starts: it can include a complete night off, travel plans, practice limits and tracking a goalie’s movements.
How a team chooses its starting goalie
The goalie coach assesses each goalie’s physical condition and mental state, then recommends a plan; the head coach decides who plays. That decision balances the team’s immediate need with how each goalie is performing and feeling, how long it has been since each last played, travel demands and the backup’s readiness. NHL.com’s reporting on goalie workload describes those considerations, but does not set out a standard formula that teams must follow.
In practice, a team is comparing the expected advantage of its preferred goalie with the value of rest and keeping the second goalie ready. A difficult opponent, a goalie’s recent form or a health concern can shift the choice; so can a taxing stretch of games or travel. These are judgment calls rather than inputs in a published scoring system.
Why teams often split back-to-back games
Using different goalies on consecutive nights is common, especially when a team has a capable tandem. Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol put it plainly in a 2022 NHL.com explainer: “Typically you’re going to have a split on the back-to-backs.” Which goalie plays first can depend on the opponent and how many days each goalie has rested.
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The choice is not based on a rule that a goalie will necessarily play worse on the second night. Coaches weigh the cost of asking the same goalie to start again against the difference in ability between the two available goalies. If the tandem is well matched, splitting games may make more sense; if one goalie offers a substantial advantage in a particular matchup, the coach may choose differently.
The statistical evidence cited in the Kraken article is not settled. It summarizes Eric Tulsky’s 2013 analysis as finding that a goalie playing both games of a back-to-back saw save percentage fall by just over 11 percent. The same article notes that later analyses by SportsMEDIA Technology’s Andrew Thomas and The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn suggested the effect might be smaller. The 11 percent figure is therefore an attributed estimate from one analysis, not a dependable forecast for every goalie or team.
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What workload management includes
Workload management means controlling demands on a goalie over time, not merely counting starts. NHL.com’s November 2025 coverage of goalie workload tracking describes several ways teams can do this:
- Managing starts: account for recent games, schedule congestion, travel, health and team needs when assigning a goalie.
- Giving a complete night off: a goalie may not dress as the backup, allowing a break from game-day preparation and concentration. Ottawa coach Travis Green described giving Linus Ullmark that kind of rest as a mental break after a demanding run.
- Planning travel: Seattle has arranged for the goalie slated to play the second half of a road back-to-back to travel ahead, avoiding the previous night’s late arrival.
- Adjusting practices: coaches can reduce unnecessary saves and butterfly drops, focus on position-specific work, or have a starter leave before high-volume rush drills. Carolina goalie coach Paul Schonfelder said three-goalie practices prompt discussion about cutting down butterfly repetitions.
- Tracking movement: “Drop rate” or “down count” means how often a goalie drops into the butterfly during games and practices. Coaches can use that activity data to monitor workload and inform practice limits after a heavy run of games.
How tracking adds context to game counts
A start or game played is only one measure of demand. NHL.com’s November 2025 report says more than 80 percent of NHL teams monitor butterfly drops using Catapult technology; it does not specify the survey or measurement date, so the figure is best understood as the article’s reported estimate rather than a dated league census. The report also describes wearables that measure total workload and side-to-side asymmetry.
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In that report, Dalhousie University goalie-biomechanics researcher Dr. Ryan Frayne estimates a butterfly drop can involve force of about twice a goalie’s body weight, depending on the goalie and movement. A goalie may make more than 100 butterfly drops in a game. Those figures illustrate why teams may count movement as well as starts; they do not establish that a particular number of drops causes an injury.
Rest for the starter and rhythm for the backup
A night away from the game can provide mental recovery even if the goalie continues skating, training or preparing. NHL.com reporting on goalie rest and workload quotes goalies describing the benefit of a break from sustained game-day concentration.
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The backup has a different challenge: a long gap between starts can disrupt timing and confidence. Goalie coaches can help by balancing practice duties with game-like drills. In a 2018 NHL.com analysis, goalie coach David Marcoux recommended that a reliable backup play at least every 10 days. That is his coaching guidance, not a league rule or standard interval.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why shared workloads are more common
NHL.com’s March 2025 reporting describes a shift toward tandems sharing work, with top goalies commonly playing close to 60 games rather than 70. This is a broad description of a trend, not a target every club must meet. A shared workload can give the starter more rest and keep the second goalie involved, but teams still have to manage the backup’s readiness and preserve the starter’s value in important games.
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The practical answer to “Who is your starting goaltender?” is therefore often situational: a team may have a preferred No. 1 without using that goalie every night. Rest, health, opponent, travel and the backup’s form can all alter the plan.
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