Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk brushes worry aside

Devan Dubnyk said something simple but oddly profound the other day when asked about his brilliant performance the first quarter of the season.

"It's important as a goalie to make sure you are stopping pucks that you should stop," he said.

Well, duh, right? Seems obvious. A goalie should make routine saves on a regular basis.

Except it doesn't always work that way, a harsh reality that Dubnyk learned last season when he often allowed in weird or ill-timed goals that made you stop and say, Really?!

So far this season, Dubnyk is stopping pucks he should stop while committing hockey thievery on others in becoming the NHL's hottest goalie.

Dubnyk leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.66), save percentage (.946) and shutouts (four).

Hard to believe, but Dubnyk is playing even better than his Superman act two years ago after joining the Wild in a midseason trade.

Dubnyk wiped everything away harmlessly, as if dusting lint off a table.

"He stands on his head," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "That's how you win games."

Super Dubnyk has been the Wild's primary formula for winning, but an obvious question exists: Is his level of play sustainable?

This isn't a one- or two-week hot stretch, but it's probably an overreach to think Dubnyk will carry a 1.66 and .946 save percentage to the end of the season. That's asking a bit much.

Dubnyk's confidence won't allow him to think anything but happy thoughts at present.

His team's playoff hopes largely depend on it because the Central Division is no cakewalk and the Wild isn't exactly an offensive machine. The Wild hovers around mid-pack in league scoring and has a fascination with playing in one-goal games.

Practically every Wild game turns into a one-goal game, putting extra significance on goaltending. Maybe Dubnyk has become numb to those tense situations, but he seems relaxed, even comfortable, knowing one small mistake could be the difference.

"Going into third period of a 0-0 game, if I'm worried about the fact that it's 0-0, the puck might go off somebody's face into the net and there's nothing you can do about it," he said. "There's no point in worrying about they might score."

Dubnyk has found a sweet spot in terms of his approach and self-awareness. He's not uptight. He hasn't allowed his team's lack of scoring punch to affect his own performance. He focuses intensely on specific areas, worrying less about what-ifs and worst-case scenarios.

He concentrates on taking proper angles and using sound technique. He reminds himself to never lose sight of the puck, even if no threat exists.

"You're not going to feel good every night," he said. "[You] try to make sure nobody knows."

He laughed. Yes, he's done a good job of hiding those occasions when he hasn't felt completely sharp or in control. To that point, he has not allowed more than three goals in a game this season.

That statistic cannot be overstated. Not one four-goal game. He's giving the Wild a chance to win most nights.

His teammates and Boudreau's system deserve credit, too. The Wild entered the weekend having allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, not all that surprising when one considers the Anaheim Ducks gave up the fewest goals in the league last season under Boudreau.

The re-emergence of Super Dubnyk should give the organization comfort after a season marked by inconsistency. Whether his regression last season was a byproduct of heightened expectations, a new contract, poor play around him or a combination of many factors, Dubnyk's so-so performance wasn't something to dismiss without some concern.

"I certainly feel confident," he said.

Can he keep it up? Who knows, but why worry about that now, as long as Dubnyk continues to stop pucks that he should stop and then some.