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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Wins season finale
Lehtonen made 34 saves Saturday against the Kings to win his final game of the season, 4-2.
The win gives Lehtonen a winning record to finish the season at 15-14-3. The 34-year-old was pressed into starting duties when Ben Bishop was injured but still finished with a career-low 30 starts. Although Lehtonen's save percentage and GAA improved this season, it's unlikely he'll re-sign with the Stars. He reached the playoffs just twice during his five years in Dallas, and his $29-million deal expires this summer.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Tenure with Dallas could end Saturday
Lehtonen will start in goal Saturday night against host Los Angeles, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic Dallas/Fort-Worth reports.
As noted by Shapiro, this might be the last we'll see of Lehtonen with the star emblazoned across his chest. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Stars GM Jim Nill assuredly won't be looking to pay him close to the $5.9 million per season that he's averaged on a five-year deal. The Finn is set for his 445th game with Dallas; he's posted a 215-150-50 record, 2.63 GAA and .912 save percentage over nine years of service time as a member of the Western Conference club. His agent will surely play up the fact that Lehtonen's started 511 career games between the Thrashers (Jets) and Stars.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Slated for backup duties
Lehtonen (upper body) will serve as Mike McKenna's backup for Friday's game against the Ducks.
Lehtonen exited Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Sharks due to an upper-body injury, but he's evidently feeling well enough to take in Friday's contest from the bench. If he's up to the task, the 34-year-old netminder will likely get the start in goal in the Stars' season finale Saturday against the Kings.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Exits Tuesday's game with injury
Lehtonen (upper body) left Tuesday's game against the Sharks and is questionable to return, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site reports.
With Ben Bishop (lower body) done for the season, veteran Mike McKenna entered his first NHL game since the 2014 campaign. Lehtonen logged 15:54 of ice time before leaving, and he yielded two goals -- one on the power play -- on 14 shots. If he's unable to return Tuesday, he'll need to heal before Friday's game against the Ducks, or else the Stars will need to make another minor-league call up.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Default starter for Dallas
Lehtonen will start in goal Tuesday night against host San Jose, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic Dallas-Ft. Worth reports.
A lower-body injury to Ben Bishop makes Lehtonen the de facto starting goalie for the three games that remain for the Stars, who are eliminated from playoff contention. He will field shots from a Sharks club that ranks 12th in scoring but only 17th on the man advantage. The Finn stopped 22 of 23 shots in a no-decision against the divisional foe in San Jose on Feb. 18.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Returns to .500 with win
Lehtonen allowed one goal on 34 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Wild on Saturday.
With the victory, Lehtonen moved back to .500 at 14-14-3. He's won two of the last three, but before that, Lehtonen lost seven straight and posted an .881 save percentage. Even after that slump, his numbers are still better than last season's, but with a 2.54 GAA and .910 save percentage, Lehtonen still isn't an elite option for owners.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Gets starting nod Saturday
Lehtonen will start in goal versus the visiting Wild on Saturday, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site reports.
Stepneski noted that Lehtonen will get all of the starts for Dallas until Ben Bishop (lower body) returns, with the caveat being that Bishop may not actually come back this season. The Finn allowed four goals on 21 shots for a loss in Minnesota on Thursday, and it's worth noting that Lehtonen actually has worse splits at the home rink based on a .906 save percentage compared to his .912 mark away from American Airlines Center. Seek alternatives if you can help it.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Loses to Wild
Lehtonen allowed four goals on 21 shots during Thursday's 5-2 loss to Minnesota.
The veteran has now won just two of his past 12 starts, and his poor play has contributed to Dallas being all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Lehtonen owns a mediocre 13-14-3 record, .910 save percentage and 2.59 save percentage for the campaign, and considering his current form, fantasy owners should probably keep expectations in check.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Starting for foreseeable future
Lehtonen will get all of the starts in goal for the Stars until Ben Bishop (lower body) is able to return, but Bishop isn't close to coming back, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site reports. As a result, look for Lehtonen to at least draw the start against the Wild in Minnesota on Thursday.
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said to "call him next week," for an update on Bishop, so it's relatively safe to assume that Bishop will at least miss the next three games with Lehtonen shouldering the load. This is anything but ideal for the Stars, as the Finn only has two wins stacked against a paltry .901 shooting percentage over 11 appearances in March. Hopefully, as a fantasy owner, you have goalie options beyond Lehtonen.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Turns aside 31 shots in Tuesday's OT win
Lehtonen stopped 31 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers.
He stood tall in a scoreless third period, making 14 saves to send the game to extra time before Alexander Radulov potted the winner just 40 seconds into OT. Lehtonen snapped a personal seven-game losing streak with the victory, and kept the Stars' fading playoff hopes alive in the process. With Ben Bishop (lower body) not even skating yet, Lehtonen will have to carry the load in net for Dallas to close out the regular season.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Looking to snap out of funk against Flyers
Lehtonen was first off the ice at morning skate Tuesday, as he prepares to face the Flyers at home, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site
The Stars need a miracle to wind up in the postseason with six regular-season games remaining. Lehtonen is winless in his past seven starts, but he was recently appointed the de facto fill-in for injured starter Ben Bishop (lower body) to keep him from falling off the map completely in fantasy games. Lehtonen will hope to see a hermetically sealed back line in this upcoming contest against a Flyers club averaging 3.05 goals per game on the road this season, good for a third-place ranking within the NHL.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Continues cold streak
Lehtonen allowed three goals on 26 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Canucks on Sunday.
The Stars keep crumbling and have now lost eight in a row. They couldn't afford to lose to the lowly Canucks with just a handful of games left and five points out of a playoff spot. Lehtonen has been a major part of the losing streak, as he owns a .881 save percentage in his last seven starts.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Taking on Vancouver on Sunday
Lehtonen will be the home starter against the Canucks on Sunday.
With Ben Bishop (lower body) banged up, Lehtonen has been seeing more time in net. Unfortunately, the Finn has had his struggles. Over his last five games, he's winless with a 3.93 GAA and .871 save percentage. Lehtonen will try to find his footing against a Canucks team that has only averaged 2.38 goals for on the road.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Can't hold off Bruins
Lehtonen gave up three goals in the third period and finished with 33 saves on 36 shots as his team lost a two-goal lead in a 3-2 setback against Boston on Friday.
That's a rough one to take given that Lehtonen was finally playing at home and had shut out Boston through 40 minutes, but it became his sixth straight defeat and fifth straight game giving up at least three goals. He's really struggling right now and so are the Stars with Ben Bishop (knee) injured. Given his struggles, Lehtonen should only be used if you don't have any other realistic options.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Starting against Bruins
Lehtonen will patrol the blue paint against the Bruins on Friday, Mark Stepneski of the Stars' official site reports.
Lehtonen will continue to start in the absence of Ben Bishop (lower body). The 34-year-old backstop has lost five straight games -- all road matchups -- and he recorded an ugly .871 save percentage in that span. The Bruins will hand Lehtonen no favors either, since they rank fourth in the league with 3.3 goals per game this season.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Allows four goals in Tuesday loss
Lehtonen turned aside 32 of 36 shots faced during Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Capitals.
This marks the fourth straight game that Lehtonen has allowed three or more goals as he fills in once again for the oft-injured Ben Bishop (lower body). A potent offense to play behind and a starter's workload are the only reasons to start the 34-year-old netminder as the injury to Bishop makes Lehtonen worth at least rostering in all formats.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Slated to start Tuesday
Lehtonen is the implied starter for Tuesday's road clash with the Capitals, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports.
Whyno writes, "It's all on Lehtonen now with Ben Bishop (lower body) injured again." However, with the Stars in danger of missing the playoffs, the Finn will need to step up in a major way. He's experienced a tumultuous road trip that's included a 0-3-1 record, 3.67 GAA and .870 save percentage over his last four outings. Now, Lehtonen will have to find an answer for a Capitals team that sits atop the Metropolitan Division with a 41-24-7 record. It's probably best to search for alternatives to the 34-year-old on this 11-game slate.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Forced into action Sunday
Lehtonen stopped 17 of 20 shots in relief of Ben Bishop in Sunday's loss to the Jets.
Bishop left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and will be re-evaluated by the medical staff in two-weeks. Lehtonen didn't look good Sunday and has now lost four straight games, but it appears he'll now be the ride-or-die for Dallas as they try to secure a playoff berth. The veteran goaltender is sporting a 12-10-3 record with a .913 save percentage and could be worth adding while Bishop is sidelined.
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Stars' Kari Lehtonen: Taking on Toronto
As expected, Lehtonen will start between the pipes in Wednesday's road game against the Maple Leafs, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun reports.
Lehtonen has played well recently, maintaining a 2.04 GAA and .930 save percentage through his last four starts, but he's posted a highly disappointing 1-3-0 record over that span due to a complete lack of goal support from his teammates. The Finnish backstop will look to keep rolling and snap his two-game losing streak in a road matchup with a Toronto team that's averaging 3.27 goals per game at home this campaign, 11th in the NHL.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-4, 209 lbs |
| Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland |
| Age: 40 |
| Shoots: Left |