When Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev had a rough game recently, he went home and watched a movie to take his mind off things. It’s playoff time, and goalies play a big role.
They need to be focused and confident to help their teams succeed. Several teams have tough decisions to make about their goalies, like Boston and Colorado.
Some teams, like Winnipeg with Connor Hellebuyck, rely heavily on their goalies to make big saves. Former NHL goalie Michael Leighton says goalies are crucial in the playoffs, just like quarterbacks or pitchers in other sports.
When a goalie is playing well, it boosts the whole team’s confidence.
In various teams across the league, the goalie situations differ as they head into the playoffs:
Nashville vs. Vancouver. Nashville’s main man is Juuse Saros, who led the NHL in saves, while Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko returns from a knee injury.
Florida vs. Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy is back in top form for Tampa Bay after recovering from back surgery, and Florida relies on their own star Russian goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.
New York Rangers vs. Washington. For the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers, it’s Igor Shesterkin in goal, while Washington’s Charlie Lindgren will make his NHL postseason debut.
Boston vs. Toronto. The Maple Leafs will count on Ilya Samsonov, and the Bruins have two strong goalies in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
Edmonton vs. Los Angeles. Stuart Skinner guards the net for Edmonton, facing off against a familiar opponent. The Kings have been alternating between Cam Talbot and David Rittich as they get ready to take on the Oilers for the third straight postseason.
Carolina vs. the New York Islanders. Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen has been outstanding since his return in March, while Coach Patrick Roy is likely to choose Semyon Varlamov for the Islanders.
Dallas vs. Vegas. Logan Thompson and Adin Hill are both contenders for the net in Vegas, while Dallas sticks with Jake Oettinger, who has been solid in recent games. Last postseason, Oettinger had some highs and lows, including his first playoffs shutout and being pulled from two games.
