The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs wrapped up Sunday with the Florida Panthers dominating the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a 6-1 win, Sergei Bobrovsky allowed only one of 20 shots past him.
Goaltending could make or break a team’s chances to hoist the Stanley Cup. Which goalies have the best chance of leading their teams to the finals? Here’s a ranking in inverse order:.
4. Calvin Pickard/Stuart Skinner | Edmonton Oilers | Next: Game 1 at Dallas on Wednesday, May 21
The second-round series between the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights came down to offense, as neither team’s goalies have played exceptionally during their playoff runs.
Pickard, who missed Games 3-5 against Vegas with a lower-body injury, has been a little more stable in goal than teammate Stuart Skinner, who has a 3.06 goals-against average in five postseason games. Per NHL.com, however, Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said Pickard “certainly won’t” play in Game 1.
In the seven games through the first two rounds, Pickard has a 2.84 goals-against average and an .888 save percentage. However, he has only faced 170 shots, 19 of them goals. That’s 224 shots fewer than the other Western Conference finals goalie, Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, who has played in 13 games.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky | Florida Panthers | Next: Game 1 at Carolina on Tuesday, May 20
Bobrovsky and Oettinger are the only goalies left who have played in all of their team’s games in the postseason. Bobrovsky, however, has faced only 284 shots compared to Oettinger’s 394. Bobrovsky has a better goals-against average than Oettinger (2.31 to 2.47), but his save percentage is only a .901.
These goalies are at the top of their games, but Bobrovsky has not faced the same type of high-producing offenses that Oettinger has in the playoffs.
But “Bobrovsky’s lateral movement is as good as any goalie in the NHL, so it’s no surprise he’s had success on plays and passes across the middle of the ice even during a down season statistically (by his standards),” wrote Kevin Woodley for NHL.com.
Still, Carolina could put up big numbers against him. Will he manage the pressure of defending the Stanley Cup?
2. Jake Oettinger | Dallas Stars
Thanks to the outstanding play of Oettinger, Dallas secured its spot in the Western Conference final Saturday night in the lowest-scoring game of the six-game series. He held Winnipeg to one goal (.957 save %, 22 shots) during a 2-1 win in OT.
In the third period, Oettinger had one of his best saves of the playoffs as he outdueled Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
