There are no breaks when you’re a backup goaltender. Even in the case of Coyotes’ No. 2 Darcy Kuemper, who has taken over for the injured Antti Raanta, the ability to accrue starts is more perilous than most realize.
Backup goaltenders will say that they never want to see their superiors come down with an injury, and while that’s true, there is still a part of them that is happy to get some extra playing time.
It’s almost an impossible situation. A goaltender goes from playing infrequently to picking up start after start after start until the No.