Fact or Fiction? Every Play-in Team’s Actual Top Performing Goalie

When it comes to choosing a starting goaltender for the playoffs (or play-ins, in the case of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers that started on Saturday, of course), some coaching staffs have an easier time than others.

The teams that have one real starting option (we see you, Montreal Canadiens), have their decision made for them, while others (looking at you, New York Rangers) have as many as three viable keepers to choose from. Basically, the better a team’s NHL goaltending depth, the tougher their decision.

So far, we’ve seen coaches picking their starters based on a number of factors, including regular season performance, playoff experience, and gut feel. To me, the most interesting and relevant of these is the first, and while it can be difficult to accurately evaluate, we have access to excellent data from Clear Sight Analytics (CSA) to guide us in the right direction.

So, based on the data, have the coaches chosen their starters wisely? Which goalies should each team be favoring, based on their play this season?

Let’s break it down.