First Shift: Stars look to wrap back-to-back on high note in Chicago

Scott Wedgewood just finished one of the most important stretches of his NHL career.

He’s hoping it can lead to even bigger things.

With Jake Oettinger missing 13 games because of a groin injury, Wedgewood had to play 12 games, including 11 in a row. In doing so, he proved to the team – and to himself – that he can carry the load if need be.

“I’ve already beat last year’s wins, so I feel good about that,” Wedgewood said. “It shows me how much more I can do.”

Wedgewood, 31, went 9-8-3 last year. He was 13-15-6 the year before, splitting time between Dallas, Arizona and New Jersey, so it has been an interesting process. But for all the ups and down in his career, Wedgewood has learned a good deal. This last stretch has been educational and has helped build on the base.

“I definitely think you learn more each year,” he said. “It’s the ups and downs of the position. Jakey and I talk about it. It’s fun to learn and you’re still learning every day.”

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said he has been impressed with how Wedgewood has handled the extra work. The veteran hasn’t posted the best numbers in his career, but he has found a way to win games. Wedgewood is 12-4-3 with a 3.11 GAA and .895 save percentage. The most important stat is the 12 wins.

“You have to find a way to make the right save at the right time,” DeBoer said. “That’s huge for any goalie.”

Wedgewood said getting this time as a No. 1 goalie can help him as a backup.

“It’s tough. It gets hard, I’m not shy to admit it,” Wedgewood said. “Your hips are feeling it, your back is feeling it. There’s a lot of learning, which I think is the coolest part about it. Getting to bed, getting the right food. It’s a situation I’ve never been in, and if I have to do it again, I will definitely take the information and use it.”

Wedgewood had 11 straight starts (a new career-high) and started to wear down. The coaches gave him a game off and Wedgewood used the rest and came back with a big 7-2 win on Wednesday. That was also part of the learning process.

“I think it was a great reset, energy wise,” DeBoer said. “He got a great practice and he reset his foundation. As you play more and don’t practice and get fatigued, you start to slip. I thought it had the exact effect we wanted.”

Wedgewood said he believes the extra work can help for the remainder of the season, and DeBoer agreed.

“We’re going to need him,” DeBoer said. “We’ve still got 40-something games left and he’s going to have to play a lot down the stretch. People have to remember that Jake is coming off a summer of surgery and now an injury during the year. So we need Wedgy.”

Key Numbers

9-1-0
Dallas is 9-1-0 in its past 10 games against Chicago. That includes a 5-0-0 streak at the United Center.

33
Chiacgo’s Connor Bedard, who is out with a broken jaw, leads all rookies in scoring with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists).

44.8 percent
Chicago is last in the NHL in faceoff winning percentage at 44.8 percent. Dallas is fourth at 53.8 percent.

He Said It

“We’ve been concentrating on it. We need to play that way in front of our goaltenders to give ourselves a chance here. I think we’ve kind of risen to the occasion.”

- Stars coach Pete DeBoer on how the team is focusing on better defensive play while missing Miro Heiskanen.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.