Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton announced that Cam Ward would start the 2019 Bridgestone Winter Classic, after practice Monday. Despite rookie Collin Delia’s superb play since Corey Crawford went down with another concussion, the 34-year-old veteran will backstop the Blackhawks.
This decision brings back memories of the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, when coach Joel Quenneville started Cristobal Huet over (a potentially more deserving) Nikolai Khabibulin, only to have Huet pulled after giving up six goals on 30 shots with over 16 minutes remaining in the game.
Ward was signed this summer to bolster the Blackhawks goaltending depth with Corey Crawford’s health in jeopardy, and little in the system to help. Before Tuesday’s New Years Day game, Ward comes in with an 0.886 save percentage and 3.90 goals against average. Both are among the league’s worst.
Delia, on the other hand, is among the league leaders in save percentage (high danger and total), goals against, most shots faced per game, and most saves per game. This is, of course, only a three game sample size but the perfect time to ride the hot hand.
In the grand scheme this single game matters little. The Blackhawks are at the halfway point of the season the Blackhawks are 25th overall, with a tall task ahead if they expect to somehow get back into the playoff race.
TOMORROW.#WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/A4I2i25GGW
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 31, 2018