GDT: Dallas Stars at Ottawa Senators - 5PM - TSN5 / RDS2 - To Win or Not Two Wins - Cowboy Cookout at the Okay Corel Centre

[frightenedinmatenum2]

In a way we had to get lucky with injuries to force us to properly see what we have in Matinpalo and Merilainen (this is how Zub got his first chance too IIRC). Coaches seem very reluctant to have players pass other players on the depth chart, and injuries seem to be the easiest way this can happen.

Without an injury to Sogaard maybe Merilainen is still in the AHL right now and we're losing games left and right with Forsberg and Sogaard alternating in nets?

You are 100 percent right, but I think Merilainen would have gotten a chance regardless because Sogaard lost his spot right away. The injury did expedite it, but it isn't as if both were good but Merilainen was better.