Teams still relying on one workhorse netminder

	After making 70 or more starts in nine of his last 10 seasons, Martin Brodeur can still shake a leg -- and play at top form. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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At first glance, many NHL teams have definitive starters in goal, with the backup getting spot starts, typically on road trips in the second game of back-to-backs. But with the league now governed by salary cap considerations, and goaltenders seeing more demanding action on a nightly basis due to increased power play time and more aggressive attacks unleashed by the rule changes, having two established goaltenders to share the load  seemed to be a trend in the making.

In the early going, several teams have exactly that situation, including the three at or near the top of the points standings: the Ducks, Sharks and Sabres. But only the Sharks have divided playing time rather evenly between Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala. The Sabres have opted for a ratio of 2 games to 1 for Ryan Miller and Martin Biron, while the Ducks are using a 3 to 1 for J-S Giguere and Ilja Bryzgalov. In each case, there has been no drop-off in performance when one netminder spells the other.

Those six goaltenders have demonstrated at various times and to varying degrees that they are number ones. That makes them trade commodities, so each team's tandem is unlikely to last the season. Those three pairings are similar in market value to Dwayne Roloson last season in Minnesota where he and Manny Fernandez had formed the longest-standing and most productive tandem in the league for several seasons. Roloson went to Edmonton and is now playing five of every six games. Fernandez started every game for the Wild this season until Nicklas Backstrom got his first start this past Sunday.

If you count Buffalo, Anaheim and San Jose as exceptions, there are still at least seven teams using a more traditional platoon system -- not counting the Blackhawks with injured Nik Khabibulin giving way in recent weeks to Brian Boucher. And discount the recent streaks of fine play by backups Kevin Weekes (Rangers), Johan Hedberg (Thrashers) and Johan Holmqvist (Lightning). On those teams, the starters are clearly Henrik Lundqvist, Kari Lehtonen and Marc Denis respectively. Each backup waited well into the season to get his chance to play and then stayed hot, as his coach let him play a string of three or more games. Holmqvist, however, is still hot and could be making a case for shared time as Denis has struggled to play with the requisite consistency of a number one netminder.

That same lack of meeting expectations explains the game allotment in Boston, Colorado and Los Angeles, where Bruins youngster Hannu Toivonen has faltered and veterans Jose Theodore (Avalanche) and Dan Cloutier (Kings)  haven't put together a string of strong starts to get them rolling. That has meant more time for Tim Thomas in Boston and more starts than expected for Peter Budaj of the Avs. Mathieu Garon is fighting again for the number one job he secured last season with the Kings.

Ultimately, that leaves but three teams that entered the season with a defined platoon system: the Canadiens, Capitals and Panthers. Look a little further at the Caps and Panthers, and you'll see tandems of similar makeup -- each has an aging star and a younger partner with starting credentials at the NHL level: Olaf Kolzig and Brent Johnson in Washington, and Ed Belfour and Alex Auld in Florida. Sharing the workload somewhat equitably in those situations makes sense since neither Belfour nor Kolzig can shoulder the workhorse loads of playing time they customarily racked up in their prime. In Auld and Johnson, both teams have guys that are capable of more than just spot duty, each having 30-win seasons on their resumes as starters.

Thus, the Canadiens duo of Cristobal Huet and David Aebischer are the only true platoon tandem in the NHL this season. They have split the games evenly and posted similar numbers. They have bonded as friends and teammates and will shoulder not only the workload, but also the pressure of tending goal in Montreal. In this scenario, the 1-1A designation has a chance to work.

Given all of those different looks around the league, iron men Martin Brodeur in New Jersey, Marty Turco in Dallas, Roberto Luongo in Vancouver, Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary and Tomas Vokoun in Nashville will all dominate the starting docket by playing more than 85 percent of their team's respective games.

The trick, of course, will be spelling them enough to keep them fresh as the stretch drive and postseason approach -- and Luongo in particular may feel the strain of the increased travel due to his move from Florida to Vancouver -- but with the demands of the position what they are, and reliability being such a precious commodity, it's safe to say that those four teams can rest easier knowing that they have at least one proven stalwart they can count on every night.

Now that is what I call a luxury.