Good NHL teams have two quality goaltenders who share the crease, and one is trying to up the other one to grab the starter job.
Often, the situation will work itself out, and one goaltender will rise to the top.
The Los Angeles Kings will not say they have a goaltending controversy, but the stats may suggest otherwise. The goaltending tandem of David Rittich and Darcy Kuemper has both played well and deserves the majority of the starts between the pipes.
However, only one can get more than 50% of the starts.
The question is, who will Los Angeles ride with?
Kings Have Two Quality Goaltenders
Rittich was brought into Los Angeles as a free agent on July 1, 2023, and played great last season—so well that he signed a one-year contract extension on May 15, 2024. Kuemper is making his second appearance with the Kings after being acquired from the Washington Capitals in a one-for-one deal, as the Capitals acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois.
This season, Rittich is 10-6 with a 2.45 goals-against-average, a .891 save percentage, and two penalty minutes. Kuemper is 6-2-3 with a 2.37 GAA and a .907 save percentage with one shutout. Rittich has given up eight more goals (played five more games) and has four more wins. Kuemper has a better save percentage and one shutout.
Coming into this season, the hope was that Kuemper would reacquire his magic from his last stop in Los Angeles and grab that starter spot. However, he missed some time with an injury, and Rittich played well in his place.
Kuemper is back and has played well since his return, but have the Kings decided who is the starter?
Not yet, but the longer the season goes, a decision has to be made.
Kumper has been impressed during both stints with the Kings, and Rittich has been just as impressive, exceeding expectations whenever he takes the crease.
This may come down to who has more playoff experience and who is playing better at the moment. Rittich has four career playoff appearances, while Kuemper has a 17-10 record during the second season, regardless of who the Kings appoint to the starter position. They have two qualified, solid goaltenders that they can count on equally.
Rittich and Kuemper know what the Kings expect from them so that the decision may be theirs.
Their gameplay will decide the outcome, with the best overall goaltender getting the most starts, and that is the way it should be.
PHOTO: Brad Penner/Imagn Images
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