Trotz juggles goaltenders as Predators return home

The goaltender dilemma for the Nashville Predators has no easy answers.

With a four-game homestand starting tonight with a visit from the San Jose Sharks at 7 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, coach Barry Trotz has implied only that he will go with the goaltender with the hot hand. And while lukewarm may be a more apt description, statistically the "hottest" hand is Tomas Vokoun instead of Mike Dunham.

"Goaltending has always been a big factor for us in the first four years," Trotz said. "I probably have been more lenient in letting them work through their problems because they have been a real big factor.

"I think now that they have been in the league longer, my expectations are high. I expect them to be as good, if not better, than the other guy every night.

"That's a cruel reality. But when you're a goaltender that is what you have to expect. We expect a forward who has scored well in the past or a player who has checked well in the past to do their job as well."

But Trotz managed to hedge when it came to definitely naming a netminder.

"We are in a situation with some important home games," Trotz said. "If a goaltender is not playing, then I want to make sure he is practicing hard and doing the stuff we need him to do to prepare for the next game. If someone gets hot, he will get the games. We don't have too much flexibility in letting guys work through things.