Has Robin Lehner won starting goaltending duties for Blackhawks?

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The Blackhawks have played 40 games this season and the splits between Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner are nearly 50-50. Crawford has started 19 times while Lehner has started 21.

But Lehner has taken control of the crease as of late and for good reason. He’s won each of his last five starts and has a .934 save percentage over that span.

Sunday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets marked Lehner’s fourth start in five games after alternating every other game with Crawford for a month. Since Nov. 29, the Blackhawks are 1-6-0 when Crawford starts and 6-3-1 when Lehner does.

Following a 3-2 shootout win in Columbus, the Blackhawks pulled within five points of the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference and have one game left before the calendar flips to 2020. If the Blackhawks are still serious about making a playoff run this season, it’s time to continue riding the hot hand.

Now, that’s not to say Lehner is officially the No. 1 goaltender of the Blackhawks from here on out, because Crawford is known to go through hot stretches — he went 4-1-2 and had a .941 save percentage in his first seven starts of November. If he starts to get in a groove and Lehner’s play dips at any point, you can reevaluate. 

But Lehner deserves the net for the time being because he’s earned it and has given the Blackhawks a better chance to win.

“I think we’re always going to use both,” head coach Jeremy Colliton said on Friday. “We believe in both guys, but that’s not to say it’ll always be 50-50, no.”

Crawford and Lehner are in a unique situation. They’re both unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and when they’re both at the top of their games, it’s hard to find anyone better — Crawford is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Lehner’s .919 career save percentage ranks ninth in NHL history.

This is the first real stretch this season where one goaltender is struggling and the other is thriving for the Blackhawks. It’s likely not going to stay that way for the entire second half of the season, but it does create a situation for Crawford that he's not used to. He wants his consistent starts and doesn't like sitting for long periods of time.

If the Blackhawks are winning, perhaps it's easier to accept this role, at least for now. But it's worth monitoring how the dynamic plays out because it's difficult to keep both goaltenders happy if the splits start to stray away from the accustomed 50-50.

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