What an NHL Back-to-Back Changes About the Starting Goalie

A back-to-back is two games on consecutive days. The goalie who starts the first game is a fact about that game. The goalie for the second game is a separate fact, and it stays unconfirmed here until a team, the league, or an on-site reporter says who it is. This is how this desk labels starters. It is not a league rule, and it is not a prediction.

This week's slate is a clean set of examples. Two clubs changed goalies on the second night, and both changes are in the game stories. A third club has played the first night and has not named anyone for the second.

When the second starter is in the recap

Flyers. Tuesday's starter was Dan Vladar, as our report from that morning said. On Wednesday, the second night, Joseph Woll started at Washington and made 25 saves in a 5-2 loss, NHL.com's recap says. The Flyers had lost 4-3 in overtime to Columbus the night before. More on Thompson's return is in the Capitals story.

Devils. Connor Hellebuyck started Tuesday at Dallas, his first game for New Jersey, and made 17 saves in a 5-1 win, NHL.com reports. Casey DeSmith made 22 saves for the Stars. On Wednesday in Colorado, Jake Allen started and made 40 saves on 45 shots in a 5-2 loss, per the NHL.com box score. (The NHL.com recap gives 39; we use the box score.) Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in his 300th NHL game, the Avalanche recap says.

"That's a tough back-to-back," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said after the loss.

Hellebuyck on Tuesday and Allen on Wednesday are both confirmed, because the recaps say they started. The Tuesday plan is in our Hellebuyck debut story.

When the second night is still open

Capitals. Thompson started Wednesday and made 23 saves in the 5-2 win, the status report says. Washington plays at Nashville on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, the NHL schedule feed shows. That is the second night. The same status report does not name a Nashville starter. Wednesday's result does not fill Thursday in. The Oct. 29 board keeps Washington unconfirmed until someone does.

The label on each of those nights is the whole point. Confirmed means a team, the league, or a reporter at the rink said he starts, or the box score shows he did. Expected is a projection, such as a morning-skate crease note, that is not an announcement. Unconfirmed means we do not have that word yet. A back-to-back explains why the question comes up. It does not answer it. Nothing here is betting advice.