And. Here. We. Go.

After an 82-game grind, we’ve got the 16-team group that’ll go at it in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, set to kick off Saturday, April 19. It’s usually the best round of the postseason and typically has the most significant drama. Anything can happen with a field this big, especially before everyone gets so worn down from the non-stop physicality the playoffs provide.

Today, we’re focusing on the crease. Who’s hot? Who’s not? Let’s break everything down:

(M1) WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. (WC2) MONTREAL CANADIENS

Washington Capitals

Logan Thompson: 43GP, 31-6-6, 2.49 GAA, .910 SV%
Charlie Lindgren: 39GP, 20-14-3, 2.73 GAA, .896 SV%
Hunter Shepard: 1GP, 0-1-0, 7.00 GAA, .731 SV%
Clay Stevenson: 1GP, 0-1-0, 5.00 GAA, .868 SV%

Montreal Canadiens

Samuel Montembeault: 62GP, 31-24-7, 2.83 GAA, .902 SV%
Jakub Dobes: 16GP, 7-4-3, 2.74 GAA, .909 SV%
Cayden Primeau: 11GP, 2-3-1, 4.70 GAA, .836 SV%

The Capitals got some excellent goaltending all season long. But the real challenge is set to begin. After initially starting with a 1A/1B situation, Logan Thompson took the ball and ran with it to earn the No. 1 role wore on. His 23.59 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 placed him fourth in the NHL. He lost just six regulation games and 12 total to boast one of the best winning percentages in the league. Thompson absolutely should have been on Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but it’s up to him to show the management staff he can handle the pressure when it matters.

Lindgren had a decent season, but wasn’t as good as he was a year ago. His save percentage fell below .900 for the second time in three years. He’s still capable of getting wins, but he’s not stealing games like he did a year ago. In spurts, Lindgren is still more than capable of getting the job done – he proved that on more than one occasion a year ago. It’s handy to have him since Thompson missed the last few games of the season dealing with an upper-body injury and isn’t yet confirmed to be ready for Game 1.

Don’t discount Samuel Montembeault in Montreal. For the most part, he’s been a top 10 goaltender, statistically. He might not get many Vezina Trophy votes, but his 13.9 GSAx at 5-on-5 is good for 13th in the NHL, and his 29.32 at all strengths is fourth. If you don’t watch Habs games, you might undervalue just how good Montembeault has been throughout most of the season.

His backup, Jakub Dobes, has been an impressive rookie, too. He has a 4.64 GSAx which puts him near the high-end of backups in the NHL this year. He only played 16 games, so it’s not a huge sample size, but he started off hot and established himself as a legitimate backup over Cayden Primeau (who has actually been outstanding in the AHL).

The Capitals have the better of the two starters here, but it’s not as big of a gap as you might believe. Like some other matchups, don’t expect goaltending to be the downfall of either team. Montembeault will need to be better given the skill discrepancy, but that’s the type of pressure he’s been used to for much of his tenure in Quebec.

(A1) TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS vs. (WC1) OTTAWA SENATORS

Toronto Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz: 34GP, 21-8-3, 2.14 GAA, .926 SV%
Joseph Woll: 42GP, 27-14-1, 2.73 GAA, .909 SV%
Dennis Hildeby: 6GP, 3-3-0, 3.33 GAA, .878 SV%
Matt Murray: 2GP, 1-1-0, 3.54 GAA, .879 SV%

Ottawa Senators

Linus Ullmark: 44GP, 25-14-3, 2.72 GAA, .910 SV%
Anton Forsberg: 30GP, 11-12-3, 2.72 GAA, .901 SV%
Leevi Merilainen:12GP, 8-3-1, 1.99 GAA, .925 SV%
Mads Sogaard: 2GP, 1-1-0, 5.24 GAA, .800 SV%

The good old battle of Ontario. Goaltending has been a strength for Toronto this year, with both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll showing flashes of brilliance. Even Matt Murray and Dennis Hildeby have stepped up from time to time. Stolarz has statistically been the better of the two primary options, even if injuries prevented him from playing more than Woll. At one point, Stolarz was putting up Vezina trophy-caliber numbers. He fell back to earth a bit as the season wore on, but he still boasted the fifth-best 5-on-5 goals saved above expected at 24.43 in the league, and he finished the regular season brilliantly. Stolarz has never been a starter in the playoffs, but he witnessed what it took to win the Stanley Cup after backing Sergei Bobrovsky up in Florida last year. That, plus the fact that Stolarz played fewer than half the games this year, might be beneficial for the American keeper.

If not, Woll has shown he can steal games when needed. He has actually played quite well in recent weeks, even if he hasn’t gotten a ton of starts. Woll’s GSAx has hovered inside the top 20 for most of the season, so he’s been up to the task just as much as Stolarz has. He also has seven games of playoff experience dating back to 2023, and has looked quite spectacular, for the most part. If that’s what Toronto’s backup situation looks like, goaltending shouldn’t be too much of a concern heading into the postseason.

But what Toronto lacks is a Vezina winner, and that’s what Ottawa has in Linus Ullmark. Ask any fan how the Sens made it to the playoffs and they’ll point you in Ullmark’s direction. His 5-on-5 metrics have been average at best, but he’s had more than his fair share of clutch moments, especially in the latter half, to get Ottawa into the playoffs. There’s absolutely no reason to be concerned about him right now – he’s playing some fantastic hockey.

Anton Forsberg, meanwhile, has been one of the better backups in the NHL. That’s especially true since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, where he has a 3.75 GSAx to put him 21st in the NHL. Forsberg has more losses than wins, but his ability to steal wins alongside Leevi Merilainen earlier in the year while Ullmark was out proved crucial. Forsberg also never seems to have a quiet night in the crease, either.

Expect good goaltending from both sides. Toronto might have the better tandem, statistically. But betting against Ullmark could prove costly. If anything, defense will be more important in this series because it’s safe to expect both teams will cancel each other out in net.

(M2) CAROLINA HURRICANES vs. (M3) NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Carolina Hurricanes

Frederik Andersen: 22GP, 13-8-1, 2.50 GAA, .899 SV%
Pyotr Kochetkov: 47GP, 27-16-3, 2.60 GAA, .898 SV%
Spencer Martin: 9GP, 3-4-1, 3.89 GAA, .846 SV%
Dustin Tokarski: 6GP, 4-2-0, 2.18 GAA, .902 SV%
Yaniv Perets: 1GP, 0-0-0, 7.32 GAA, .857 SV%

New Jersey Devils

Jacob Markstrom: 49GP, 26-16-6, 2.50 GAA, .900 SV%
Jake Allen: 31GP, 13-16-1, 2.66 GAA, .908 SV%
Nico Daws, 6GP, 3-1-0, 1.60 GAA, .939 SV%

The Hurricanes’ crease can be a bit of a live grenade situation, at points. At their best, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov can be unstoppable and the life of the party. Other times, they make you wonder why Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky wasn’t more aggressive to upgrade the crease over the past year. Andersen should be the Game 1 starter, and with just more than 20 games played this year, you can’t argue that he’s too tired. He’s nowhere as good as he was during the regular season a year ago, but he still boasts a solid 7.38 GSAx – only Jake Allen (15.69) has a better output at 5-on-5 this year in this series.

Kochetkov, meanwhile, has struggled. His surface stats aren’t pretty and his -0.06 GSAx is good for 52nd. Kochetkov has proven on multiple occasions that he can get as hot as anyone and be an absolute game-stealer. But that’s been a while, given he’s riding a 2-4 record over his past six games. Even in those wins, he has allowed seven goals total. Kochetkov has been busy this season, taking over the starting duties when Andersen was dealing with health problems. In a short span, he might be fine, but he has allowed too many goals this year that make you question if he can handle the playoff pressure.

Jacob Markstrom was brought in to help fix New Jersey’s goaltending issues. Before the middle of January, Markstrom was easily one of the best in the NHL. But a knee injury prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off has dropped his game off a cliff. Since March 3, Markstrom’s -9.22 GSAx is the second worst in the NHL, and he’s had to be bailed out on multiple occasions. He had a nice four-game stretch recently but fell back into his troubling ways with a 7-2 loss to Boston last week.

The team has missed some key players, such as Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler and Stefan Noesen, so that doesn’t help. But when you consider the fact that Allen has simply played much better (beyond his current cold streak), it’s a bit troubling. Allen has had to be outstanding at points over the past two months to keep the Devils on track, highlighted by a 45-save effort over Columbus on March 17. The 34-year-old is on the back end of his career at this point, but as an NHL backup, he still has some good hockey to offer.

This isn’t going to be a matchup stolen by goaltending heroics. If anything, it’s the one where everything could easily fall apart. But all it takes is one to grab life by the horns to change absolutely everything – and that’s what should make this series so interesting.

(A2) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. (A3) FLORIDA PANTHERS

Tampa Bay Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy: 63GP, 38-20-5, 2.18 GAA, .921 SV%
Jonas Johansson: 19GP, 9-6-3, 3.13 GAA, .895 SV%
Brandon Halverson: 1GP, 0-1-0, 5.18 GAA, .792 SV%

Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky: 54GP, 33-19-2, 2.44 GAA, .906 SV%
Vitek Vanecek: 24GP, 5-14-4, 3.62 GAA, .884 SV%

It’s been a few years since the Lightning entered the playoffs as a Stanley Cup favorite. But when they did, Andrei Vasilevskiy was at the top of his game and among the best netminders in the NHL. This year has been a bounce-back campaign for the Russian keeper, who posted a .921 save percentage – the best since winning the title in 2021. He also had 38 wins for the third best output of his career. Mix that in with the sixth-best 5-on-5 GSAx of 21.19 and showed he was back in the saddle overcoming surgery a year ago. His near-perfection in elimination games over that three-year Cup final run will go down as one of the best in NHL history. Even if Tampa isn’t the powerhouse they once were, bet against prime-level Vasy at your own peril.

Behind him will be Jonas Johansson, who is coming off the best regular season of his NHL career. Granted, he only played 18 games and still had some ugly moments. But in spot duty, he was able to carve out some impressive performances. The Lightning will be in deep (redacted) if the 6-foot-5 Swede is thrust into action, though.

The same goes for Florida if something happens to Sergei Bobrovsky. The Bobfather has been absolutely tremendous in the playoffs the past two years, finding a way to revive his career after seemingly getting relegated to backup duty before the 2023 playoffs. The 36-year-old has reverted to more human-like numbers this year, but he still had five shutouts and over 30 wins. And just like Vasy before him, Bobrovsky’s ability to come up clutch in key moments is exactly why the Panthers have a Stanley Cup to their credit.

But Florida doesn’t have a Stolarz or an Alex Lyon to lean on if things go south. Vitek Vanecek has struggled with just one regulation win since getting acquired prior to the March 7 Trade Deadline and had too many disappointing performances along the way. The Czech keeper shouldn’t be needed in this series and will hit the open market as a UFA unless the Panthers keep him on a much friendlier deal than his $3.4 million cap hit is right now.

The Battle of Florida is one of the most highly anticipated first-round series, with no shortage of storylines to watch for. But the fight between the two star Russian goaltenders might be near the top of the list – and it wouldn’t be surprising to see either of these teams go all the way to the Cup Final. Heck, we’ve seen a team from the state make it to the final in five straight years – why not make it a sixth?

(C1) WINNIPEG JETS vs. (WC2) ST. LOUIS BLUES

Winnipeg Jets

Connor Hellebuyck: 62GP, 47-12-3, 2.00 GAA, .925 SV%
Eric Comrie: 20GP, 9-10-1, 2.39 GAA, .914 SV%

St. Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington: 56GP, 28-22-5, 2.69 GAA, .900 SV%
Joel Hofer: 31GP, 16-8-3, 2.64 GAA, .904 SV%

Is this FINALLY the year where Connor Hellebuyck breaks through and leads the Jets to the promised land? The Commerce, Mich., native is on track for the third Vezina Trophy of his career after putting up close to 50 wns this season. But outside of his 9-8 run in 2018, Hellebuyck has typically struggled when the pressure matters most. He hasn’t played more than eight games in a playoff run since and has just two wins in his past 10 playoff outings. The Jets have been a totally different beast this year, though, and it seems unlikely Hellebuyck will crack yet again. But they’ll need him to be at his absolute best if they’re going to go deep and not collapse.

If – and a big if – Hellebuyck absolutely falls apart or gets injured, they at least have a capable backup in Eric Comrie. He has more losses than wins, but his analytics have actually been impressive. He hasn’t played much recently but did shut out Carolina and Vegas in two of his past eight games. So when they need him to shine, he can – but they better not need him whatsoever.

Hellebuyck was excellent at the 4 Nations Face-Off, giving USA a serious chance at gold. But the goalie that beat him in the Final – and registered a better high-danger save percentage – was Jordan Binnington. Binnington receives a lot of flak for his inconsistent play. But since the end of the tourney, the Canadian keeper has the 10th best GSAx of 7.85. Hellebuyck has been better, but he’s also a Vezina favorite. Binnington’s ability to stand tall in pressure-packed situations has proven effective before, and his play over the past month has to inspire some confidence.

If it doesn’t and everything falls apart, Joel Hofer has been good, too. His 2.98 GSAx since the 4 Nations tourney is among the best of all NHL backups. He’s been much more involved than Comrie this year, playing 31 games – and looking quite solid throughout. As far as backup goaltenders go, Hofer has proven enough over the past two years to suggest he can come in and shut things down. Even in a recent loss to the Jets, Hofer looked solid.

Winnipeg has the clear advantage in net – literally nobody has been better than Hellebuyck this season. But Binnington has also been much more impressive in the playoffs – none more so than in 2019. If Hellebuyck can keep keeping on, the Jets should win this series. But if you expect Binnington to fall flat without a fight, you haven’t been watching him too closely this season. Remember, he outduelled Hellebuyck in the do-or-die 4 Nations Final between Canada and the U.S.

(P1) VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS vs. MINNESOTA WILD (WC1)

Vegas Golden Knights

Adin Hill: 50GP, 32-13-5, 2.47 GAA, .906 SV%
Ilya Samsonov: 29GP, 16-9-4, 2.82 GAA, .891 SV%
Akira Schmid: 5GP, 2-0-1, 1.26 GAA, .944 SV%

Minnesota Wild

Filip Gustavsson: 58 GP, 31-19-6, 2.56 GAA, .914 SV%
Marc-Andre Fleury: 26 GP, 14-9-1, 2.93 GAA, .899 SV%
Jesper Wallstedt: 2GP, 0-2-0, 4.09 GAA, .843 SV%

The undisputed No. 1 goaltender for the first time in his career, Hill broke past the 30-win barrier during his recent hot stretch that saw him go 9-2-0 over his past 10 games. Hill has been near the top 20 in most statistical categories this season. That might not be awe-inspiring, but he’s rarely the reason why the Golden Knights lose on any given night. We’ve seen him shine in big moments before (World Championship and the Stanley Cup Final) and there’s little reason to not believe in him heading into this series.

Despite some so-so numbers, veteran backup Ilya Samsonov has done a decent job of logging wins. He’s been near the mid-pack among backup goaltenders this year, statistically, but he also has playoff experience after stints in Washington and Toronto. It’s unclear if he’s capable of stealing a game for the Golden Knights on the biggest stage, but he was one of the main reasons why Toronto ended its playoff curse against the Bolts back in 2023. Regardless, it’s probably not a good thing if he’s seeing playoff action this year.

For Minnesota, the highs have been high for Filip Gustavsson. But the lows prevented him from being a serious Vezina Trophy contender like once thought earlier in the season. His season-long GSAx of 10.85 is good for 25th in the NHL, and he’s 13th since March 1 with a 6.8. By all accounts, it’s been a big bounce-back season for the Swedish veteran, who lost the Wild a few too many games last year. This season, though, he’s been dialed in and tracking pucks better than ever before. At his best, Gustavsson will give the Wild a chance to win every single night.

If there’s anyone to cheer for on this team, it’s Marc-Andre Fleury. A future Hockey Hall of Famer, Fleury is set to retire once the season ends. If all goes well for the Wild, Fleury won’t touch the crease at any point during the playoffs. But you know that he’d like to cap things off with a fourth Stanley Cup after winning it three times with the Penguins – twice as a backup. His numbers might not be great this year, but if anyone has motivation to take their game to the next level, it’s him.

(C2) DALLAS STARS vs. (C3) COLORADO AVALANCHE

Colorado Avalanche

Mackenzie Blackwood: 53GP, 28-21-6, 2.55 GAA, .912 SV%
Scott Wedgewood: 24GP, 14-6-2, 2.32 GAA, .908 SV%
Trent Miner: 2GP, 0-1-0, 2.62 GAA, .879 SV%

Dallas Stars

Jake Oettinger: 58GP, 36-18-4, 2.59 GAA, .909 SV%
Casey DeSmith: 27GP, 14-8-2, 2.59 GAA, .913 SV%

The Avalanche boasted the worst goaltending duo of the season when they trotted out Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. By Dec. 9, both were gone, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood assuming crease duties. It was one of the moves that ultimately saved Colorado’s season, with both goalies finishing the regular season in the top 25 in 5-on-5 GSAx. Their numbers were almost equal, showing that the team could throw either into the fire and thrive. That’s especially the case in the surface-level department, where both posted a GAA of at least .913.

Blackwood has gotten the bulk of the starts and should remain the No. 1 for the playoffs. But despite making his NHL debut in 2017-18, Blackwood has yet to play a single playoff game. Sometimes, going into a stressful situation with a fresh slate could come in useful. That is, of course, unless you look at the guy at the other end of the ice – more on that later.

Wedgewood, meanwhile, filled in for parts of three games when he was a Dallas Star back in 2022-23. Beyond that, he has just 14 games of total postseason experience at all levels dating back to his first pro hockey season in 2012-13. Fortunately, he’s been one of the best backups in the NHL over the past half-decade, and if the Avalanche need him to steal a game or two, he’s as capable as anyone.

Oettinger, meanwhile, registered 35 wins in a season for the third consecutive year and should get some serious Vezina Trophy consideration. He’s been a workhorse in Dallas, and he’s been truly dominant in recent showings. He’s by far the busiest of the four goalies in this series, but for good reason. Plus, we know how dialed in Oettinger gets in the playoffs – if Dallas gets bounced, it’s unlikely he’ll be the reason why.

Casey DeSmith has been good in spot duty, too. There’s a reason the Stars targeted him over the summer – he’s very capable of some excellent hockey. This has been the best season of his NHL career, and while the past few starts have been a bit more difficult, he was nearly unstoppable through February and March.

This might be the most intriguing goaltending matchup in the series. Both teams are deep in different ways, and they can rely on their netminders to hold the fort. Dallas might hold the slight edge, but we can’t forget the Avalanche would have absolutely sunk if it wasn’t for the play of the Lumberjack Bros.

(P2) LOS ANGELES KINGS vs. (P3) EDMONTON OILERS

Edmonton Oilers

Stuart Skinner: 50GP, 26-18-4, 2.81 GAA, .896 SV%
Calvin Pickard: 36GP, 22-10-1, 2.71 GAA, .900 SV%
Olivier Rodrigue: 2GP, 0-1-0, 3.10 GAA, .862 SV%

Los Angeles Kings

Darcy Kuemper: 50GP, 31-11-7, 2.02 GAA, .922 SV%
David Rittich: 33GP, 16-13-2, 2.77 GAA, .889 SV%
Erik Portillo: 1GP, 1-0-0, 1.02 GAA, .966 SV%
Pheonix Copley: 1GP, 0-0-0, 4.37 GAA, .833 SV%

Here we go again. The same matchup – and, for the Oilers, the same problems. Stuart Skinner has been way too inconsistent yet again this year, with his numbers taking a nosedive for the second consecutive campaign. A recent injury kept him out for eight games, and he looked good against the Winnipeg Jets on his first night back. He should be given the starter’s gig for Game 1, but we saw that coach Kris Knoblauch was willing to stray from the path when he felt his team needed a jolt last year. Injuries have decimated the Oilers, so it’s not all on the goaltenders for some of their recent play. But the Oilers need Skinner to play the best hockey of his season over the next few days if they’re going to avert a disaster.

Veteran backup Calvin Pickard has been fine, and he even has a slightly better GAA. But Pickard’s -5.04 GSAx is 75th out of 92 goalies at 5-on-5, and most of the names below him will be watching the playoffs from home. It’s not going to be ideal if he’s the one tasked with saving Edmonton’s bacon.

Los Angeles’ goaltending has been significantly better in every conceivable way. Since March 15, Kuemper has the best 5-on-5 GSAx of 10.7 – the only goalie with more than 8.0. Even David Rittich has been better than both of Edmonton’s goalies in that span. The Kings’ crease situation is truly the best its been in the long-standing rivarly between these two teams. Jonathan Quick was no longer a starter-caliber goaltender when he manned the crease against them, and Joonas Korpisalo and Cam Talbot left a lot to be desired.

But Kuemper, in particular, has been a top-five goalie for most of the season. An offseason trade out of Washington has helped him revive his career with some of the best numbers we’ve seen out of him. It even feels like he’s better than when he helped Colorado win the Cup two years ago. If Kuemper stays hot, he might be the X-Factor in this series.

Rittich has bounced around throughout his career, but he’s been at his best in Los Angeles. Big Save Dave’s surface numbers are nothing to get excited about, but he’s been excellent as of late with a 4-1-0 record since March 9. That’s not a big sample size, but the 32-year-old Czech native has been instrumental in keeping the Kings alive this year, especially when Kuemper went down with an injury early on.

Can the Oilers outskill their goaltending concerns? Can the Kings’ hot duo stay hot? You can absolutely expect goaltending to be a major talking point in this series.

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