Breaking down every Round 3 Stanley Cup playoff goaltending matchup
We’re halfway through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and 16 teams have dwindled down to four. All four teams have earned their way into the Conference Finals through a combination of offensive weapons, tight defense, and smart tactics.
But of course, another key factor to each team’s success is their goaltending. Some have gotten steady puck-stopping through both rounds, and some have had inconsistent performances in the crease from netminders who’ve shown up when it counts.
With Round 3 set to begin tomorrow, let’s dive into the goaltending matchups for the East and West Finals and see how each team stacks up in the crease.
Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen: 35 GP, 16-14-5, .874 SV%, 3.92 5v5 GSAx (8 GP, 8-0, .950 SV%, 10.87 GSAx)
Brandon Bussi: 39 GP, 31-6-2, .893 SV%, 8.86 5v5 GSAx
Pyotr Kochetkov: 9 GP, 6-2-0, .899 SV%, -0.58 5v5 GSAx
Montreal Canadiens
Jakub Dobes: 43 GP, 29-10-4, .901 SV%, 22.94 5v5 GSAx (14 GP, 8-6, .910 SV%, 9.39 5v5 GSAx)
Sam Montembeault: 25 GP, 10-8-4, .873 SV%, -0.73 5v5 GSAx
Jacob Fowler: 17 GP, 9-6-2, .908 SV%, 5.38 5v5 GSAx (1 GP, 0-0, .500 SV%, 0.03 5v5 GSAx)
No goaltender has been as consistent in these playoffs as Andersen. To be fair, he’s only played eight games, which means his run is almost the equivalent of a hot seven-game series, but unlike the other goalies on this list, he hasn’t had a cold stretch yet. That said, considering he’s 36 years old and doesn’t have the strongest playoff record, it feels like a cold stretch may come at some point.
Can the Hurricanes weather an Andersen slump? Will it result in their demise in the Conference Finals yet again? Or will Andersen continue this run all the way to a Stanley Cup? Regardless, it’s his crease at this point. It’s hard to see them going to Bussi (who hasn’t played a game in more than a month) or Kochetkov (who hasn’t played an NHL game in almost five months) at this point of the playoffs.
Dobes is the second-best goaltender left standing in the playoffs, yet in this series, he has to stare down the best. But he just hasn’t played as consistently well as Andersen. In this first round, Dobes was good enough to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, but not so good where he stood out. But in the second round, he was at both ends of the spectrum. In his good games, he was spectacular, highlighted by his play in the pivotal Game 7 win over the Buffalo Sabres. But in his bad games, he was a driving force in a Canadiens’ loss. If he can manage at least one more good game than bad game in the third round, or even just go back to the forgettably good goalie he was in the first round, the Habs may stand a chance.
On paper, this matchup favors the Canes. Not only has Andersen played well so far, but he also benefits from working behind a much better defensive team who controls the puck more often than not. But Carolina is in unproven territory now. This is the time of year where they struggle, and it feels like the clock will strike midnight on Andersen’s performance. The Canadiens aren’t the Florida Panthers, but they have elements of a team who could give the Canes fits in the East Final, similarly to the New York Rangers. And in that chaos, that’s where Dobes and the Habs could win this matchup.
Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (P1)
Colorado Avalanche
Scott Wedgewood: 45 GP, 31-6-6, .921 SV%, 20.73 5v5 GSAx (8 GP, 7-1, .914 SV%, 4.6 5v5 xGSA)
Mackenzie Blackwood: 39 GP, 23-10-2, .904 SV%, 13.49 5v5 GSAx (3 GP, 1-0, .872 SV%, 0.07 5v5 GSAx)
Trent Miner: 4 GP, 1-0-3, .923 SV%, 2.23 5v5 GSAx
Vegas Golden Knights
Carter Hart: 18 GP, 11-3-3, .891 SV%, -8.12 5v5 GSAx (12 GP, 8-4, .917 SV%, 1.44 5v5 GSAx)
Akira Schmid: 34 GP, 16-10-6, .893 SV%, 11.36 5v5 GSAx
Adin Hill: 27 GP, 10-9-6, .870 SV%, -10.73 5v5 GSAx
Carl Lindbom: 8 GP, 2-4-2, .873 SV%, -2.81 5v5 GSAx
Colorado and Vegas bring an interesting goaltender dynamic to the Western Conference Final. Wedgewood and Hart have both been streaky: red hot one round and ice cold the other. The more interesting part is how neither goalie has been hot or cold at the same time as the other.
Wedgewood was one of the best goalies in Round 1 with a .955 SV% and 6.19 5v5 GSAx. While the Avs would have beaten the Los Angeles Kings regardless, Wedgewood was the reason it was a sweep. But in Round 2 against the Minnesota Wild, he struggled. The 9-6 win was not one of his best moments, and it was a sign of the series to come, with an .872 SV% and -1.59 5v5 GSAx indicating he should forget the past two weeks. Mackenzie Blackwood even got a few games in, but he wasn’t much better. After he allowed three goals in the first period of Game 5, Wedgewood returned to the net for the comeback and now looks to be the starter again for Round 3.
Meanwhile, Hart’s trajectory has gone up. In Round 1, the Golden Knights beat the Utah Mammoth in spite of Hart’s play, as he was arguably the worst goalie in the first round with an .898 SV% and -4.82 5v5 GSAx. But John Tortorella’s faith in Hart never wavered, and it paid off. Against the Anaheim Ducks, Hart played a big role in the series win with a .935 SV% and 6.26 5v5 GSAx, the best of any goalie in the second round.
One goalie is trending up, and one is trending down. Will those trends continue, will each revert to the goalie he was prior, or will we see an even matchup down the middle? Considering both teams were excellent defensively in the regular season (Vegas was second in 5v5 xGA/60 with 2.41, Colorado tied for fifth with 2.5) and the playoffs (Vegas seventh with 2.63, Colorado fourth with 2.39), both goalies have faced similar workloads all season. Goaltending could prove to be the difference maker in this series.
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