Bingo Sunny. I would rather Dom get some work then come back right before the playoffs. No reason to expose him to anything at this level if Budaj can fill in for two games, maybe 3 at the most. Let him stay in the game, fresh and focused during the Crunch playoff run.
To be honest I don't think they intend Budaj to fill in any games at all. I don't know where the schedule would allow it. The Lightning will not be playing again until 3/17. Meanwhile Syracuse plays 3/14 and 3/16 and then Domingue will have an opportunity to play the Edmonton portion of the Boston/Edmonton back-to-back on 3/17 and 3/18 respectively.
I've got to say that 3 games on the 14th, 16th and 18th makes perfect sense.
Vasilevskiy will probably take the next 4 games after that. Trying to platoon backups in that span of time sets a pretty unpredictable precedent especially because we'll be facing NJD and NYI teams fighting for their lives, a TOR team who wants to make their mark on us and ARI with nothing to lose. I don't think either Budaj or Domingue will get another chance to play until the other half the next coming back-to-back on 3/29 and 3/30.
If you shut down Vasy by then I think rest vs rust becomes dangerous. I figure he's gonna have to play Nashville and Boston on 4/1 and 4/3 (especially because the latter could mean the division) and there's 2 more games after that. By then you're looking just over a week and a half until 4/11 on the first playoff game and if Coop pulls the plug on Vasy I have to imagine that it's then.
Unless Cooper straight up takes the meat off Domingue's table (especially because we're gonna call him right back up and blow a move on him) then this has to be Budaj's farewell and he's simply gonna be the 3rd goalie in the event of an emergency.
Keep in mind: it is 100% possible that I am reading way too much into this but Budaj as a reserve feels like an Yzerman move.