More than a few coaches turned to their backup goaltender in a jam-packed night on the NHL calendar.

Eight second-stringers got the call Saturday night and came away with varying degrees of success. Here's our assessment of their performances, from the most alarming to the most promising.

Time to panic

Antti Niemi

The Pittsburgh Penguins netminder struggled in two earlier appearances this season, lasting just nine minutes in his first contest and then allowing five goals to the Tampa Bay Lightning in his second start a week later.

Niemi didn't fare any better in a rematch against the Lightning on Saturday. He gave up seven goals, including four on the first 14 shots. Through three games as a Penguin, it looks like more of the same from Niemi, who was bought out by the Dallas Stars in the offseason after he posted a dreadful .892 save percentage a year ago.

Louis Domingue

Following a leg injury to newcomer Antti Raanta, the Coyotes have been forced to throw Domingue into the deep end, with ugly results.

The Arizona netminder has struggled, leaving the Coyotes - winless through eight games - calling on 21-year-old AHL farmhand Adin Hill. Domingue's allowed 19 goals in five contests (three starts), including Saturday's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Cause for concern

Anton Khudobin

With starter Tuukka Rask shelved with a concussion, Khudobin is the go-to goalie in Boston for the immediate future.

The early returns came up in favor of the Bruins, as he turned aside 26 shots while backstopping Boston to a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. But the next game wasn't as impressive - he and the Bruins surrendered a 4-1 lead over the Buffalo Sabres before losing in overtime.

Philipp Grubauer

The Capitals have an intriguing up-and-coming goaltender in Grubauer, but the 25-year-old has failed to find a win in the early season.

Through three contests - including Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers - Grubauer's earned a .848 save percentage, a stark contrast to the .926 he posted a year ago. He needs to improve in order for the Capitals to comfortably grant Braden Holtby the occasional night off.

Time will tell

Alex Stalock

Stalock signed with the Wild after a five-year run in San Jose, but hasn't seen much action at the big-league level. He's appeared in just four NHL games over the past two seasons, and spent much of last season in the minors.

He needs a larger body of work with Minnesota for the team and its fans to accurately evaluate him. The 30-year-old appeared in a career-high 24 games with the Sharks in 2013-14 and came away with 12 wins and a .932 save percentage.

Malcolm Subban

The Golden Knights saw something in Subban when they claimed the budding netminder on waivers from the Bruins. After he arrived in Las Vegas, the team quickly made room for him by shipping former backup Calvin Pickard to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Subban struggled when called upon by the Bruins, but the 23-year-old got the last laugh with his new club. He picked up his first win as a Golden Knight - and first NHL win overall - with a 3-1 victory over Boston. Subban added his second career win two nights later against the Sabres.

One bad night

Juuse Saros

Every goalie is due for a bad game eventually, and unfortunately for Saros, it was his turn Saturday. The Nashville Predators netminder allowed three goals on 14 shots in a loss to the New York Rangers.

After two games, the 22-year-old remains in search of his first win on the season. But the victories should soon follow - the Predators see plenty of potential in him, and that's easy to understand considering the Finnish goaltender posted a winning record alongside a .923 save percentage last season. It won't be long before he's entrusted with more games as Nashville puts a succession plan in place for starter Pekka Rinne.

Aaron Dell

Calling on Dell is typically a safe bet for the Sharks, but that wasn't the case Saturday, as they were sunk by the New York Islanders. Dell allowed four goals on 22 shots and was handed his second loss of the season.

He appeared in 20 games with the Sharks in 2016-17, his first NHL campaign after spending the previous four seasons in the minors, and posted an 11-6-1 record that's now earned him an extended look as the Sharks' second-stringer.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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