Before the postseason started, I wrote up a list of the top three goaltenders in this year’s playoffs.
In the weeks since then, my list has been proven very, very wrong.
I should’ve known better. Any playoff goaltender list that starts with Connor Hellebuyck probably isn’t the best.
So, with Round 2 of the playoffs underway, let’s revisit that ranking and update it based on what we’ve seen so far this playoffs.
Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes
During these Stanley Cup playoffs, Andersen has been playing like the Martians have the death beam pointed at Earth.
He’s posted an insane 1.32 GAA in the seven games he’s played this postseason. In addition, he’s got a .940 save percentage.
He posted his first shutout on Saturday night during the Hurricanes’ 4-0 win over Washington.
Andersen has become one of the biggest reasons for Carolina’s success through the first two rounds. They hold a 2-1 lead over the Capitals in the semis after a gentleman’s sweep of New Jersey in the first round.
The Hurricanes have gotten a lot of respect from the betting world, where they’ve become the odds-favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
Earlier, I didn’t really see where that was coming from, but they could ride Andersen’s hot hand all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs
If Toronto gets it done this season, it’s going to be partially because they’ve settled their goaltender spot with the play of Stolarz.
In past postseasons, the Leafs were always a ‘Yeah, but,’ team.
Like, yeah, Auston Matthews and The Big Four will convert if they’re given scoring opportunities, but the goaltending and defense will not hold up. They got pushed around on that end by a Boston Bruins team that was at the end of the line last season, and a juggernaut performance from the Florida Panthers the year before.
But Stolarz has brought stability to the net for Toronto, posting a 2.19 GAA and a .901 save percentage through his seven games played in the playoffs.
He isn’t an elite goaltender by any means, but he’s a calming presence in net for a Leafs team whose netminding hasn’t been a position of strength in recent years.
Jake Oettinger, Stars
Oettinger is one of the only elite regular season goaltenders who has remained somewhat himself in the postseason.
He’s had a 2.78 GAA and a .910 save percentage in the postseason, which aligns well with his regular season numbers, a 2.59 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
His counterpart in the series, Hellebuyck, has had a far more unseemly dropoff going from a 2.00 GAA and a .925 save percentage during the regular season to a 3.32 GAA and a .854 save percentage in the playoffs.
It’s hard to rank Oettinger on this list after he let in three goals in a 4-0 loss to the Jets on Friday night. But, again, we’re judging this based solely on confidence to come up in a big game, and I think that Oettinger has what it takes.
Dallas has found some new mojo after Mikko Rantanen caught fire last round, if Oettinger can keep up his numbers, he’ll lead the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final.
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