Antti Niemi is getting an opportunity to run with the Dallas Stars crease.
Niemi was the first off the ice at the team's morning skate, indicating that he'll start in place of Kari Lehtonen in Wednesday's Game 4 versus the Minnesota Wild, Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Lehtonen performed well in three starts, allowing one goal in two games on home ice before allowing four goals on 24 shots in Game 3. All told, he stopped pucks at a .931 clip, or a rate well above the team's season average.
It's been the Stars' intention to utilize both veteran goaltenders, so it was really only a matter of time before Niemi made an appearance in the series.
