For playoffs, teams better have a solid backup goalie
The last team standing under new format will have played 33 games after long break
TORONTO With five rounds potentially required to win the Stanley Cup, it’s quite possible the last team standing will have played 33 games by the end of this year’s expanded playoffs.
The only question is whether one goalie will be in net for the entire thing.
According to Tuukka Rask, don’t count on it.
The Bruins goalie, who was named a finalist for the Vézina Trophy on Friday — Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck were the others — appeared in all 24 games for the Bruins during their run to the final a year ago.
But after a four-month layoff due to the coronavirus, Rask said it’s unrealistic to assume goalies won’t get hurt or require a break with the NHL jumping straight into a new post-season format that will see teams play on backto-back nights in the qualifying round.
“As far as the playoffs are concerned, you never know,” said Rask. “You lay off for four months and go right to playoff hockey, there could always be some injuries — nagging injuries — that are going to happen with groins or hips. It’s part of the reason why teams are allowed to have unlimited goalies on their roster now.”
Lucky for the Bruins, they have a goalie tandem that combined to win the William Jennings Trophy for the league’s lowest goalsagainst average. While Rask went 26-8-6 with a .929 save percentage, backup goalie Jaroslav Halak went 18-6-6 with a .919 save percentage.
Rask, who appeared in only 58 per cent of his team’s games, credited a lightened workload in the regular season for keeping him fresh for last year’s playoffs. Had the coronavirus not caused the league to shut down in March, it would have once again been an advantage. As a comparison, Hellebuyck was in net for 82 per cent of Winnipeg’s games and Vasilevskiy played in 74 per cent of Tampa Bay’s games.
But everyone is rested now. “I think everybody has the same amount of rest right now,” said Rask.
“I think some guys have had some injuries and you have three or four months to recover. So I don’t think anybody has an advantage there.”
The only question is if Hellebuyck or Vasilevskiy were to get injured, is Winnipeg or Tampa Bay confident that Laurent Brossoit (.895 save percentage) or Curtis Mcelhinney (.909 save percentage), respectively, can step in and win get the job done?
“Like I said, we’ve had the luxury of having a couple of good goalies the past two years,” said Rask, “so I feel like we’re in a good spot.”
Here’s how the teams stack up between the pipes:
CALGARY FLAMES
A year ago, David Rittich sat on the bench as the Flames were upset in the first round. Don’t expect that to happen again. Though the team has Cam Talbot as the backup, Rittich is the unquestioned No. 1 — even if his mediocre .907 save percentage raises questions. Another question: Can a goalie with zero playoff experience outperform a Vezina finalist (Hellebuyck)?
EDMONTON OILERS
Mikko or Mike? Chances are we could see both of Koskinen and Smith if the Oilers go deep in the playoffs. After all, the tandem basically went 50-50 all season. Koskinen had the better save percentage (.917 to .902) this year, but Smith was in net for 12 of the team’s final 17 games. As for playoff experience, Smith has a ton and Koskinen has none — that is, if you don’t include his time in the KHL where he won two Gagarin Cups.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Don’t let his .909 save percentage fool you. When it comes to winning the big game, there might not be a better goalie in the world than Carey Price, who has won at the Olympics, World Cup and world juniors. The last time the Canadiens were in the playoffs, Price posted a 1.86 goalsagainst average and a .933 save percentage. Of course, the time before that he was injured in the second round, which essentially killed Montreal’s Stanley Cup bid. Considering Charlie Lindgren, Keith Kinkaid or Cayden Primeau haven’t played in more than six games this season, Price will have to stay healthy.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
With a .909 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average that had him ranked outside the Top 30, Frederik Andersen was having the worst season of his career when the season was put on hold. Backup goalie Jack Campbell actually had a better save percentage in his limited time in Toronto. But if the Leafs are going to get over the firstround hump this year — or rather, the qualifying round — it will have to be because of Andersen, who has a 25-20 record in the post-season.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Jacob Markstrom was snub in the Vézina, but this was a breakout year for the 30-year-old, who gave the impression that Vancouver was a better defensive team than it actually was by turning aside 30 shots per game. Only Rask, Hellebuyck and Ben Bishop had a better save percentage among goalies who played in 40 or more games. Even if Thatcher Demko has to come in for relief, Vancouver should have the edge in net against a Minnesota team that had the third-worst save percentage.
WINNIPEG JETS
No goalie faced more shots this season than Hellebuyck. No goalie also made more saves. It’s a big reason why Hellebuyck, who posted a .922 save percentage and led the league with six shutouts, is a favourite to win the Vézina Trophy. He just better not get hurt. With Brossoit as the backup (6-7-1, with a .895 save percentage), Winnipeg is operating without a safety net.