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Ranking the starting goaltenders in NHL conference finals
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Ranking the starting goaltenders in NHL conference finals

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.

“Our goaltending’s been exceptional,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said, per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. “Listen, he just went head-to-head with maybe the MVP of the league [Hellebuyck], and what everyone is saying is the best goaltender in the world. And he probably was this year, Hellebuyck. And he went toe-to-toe with him, nose-to-nose with him the entire series. Great character, gut-check by Jake. And he’s delivering at a real key time for us.”

Through the second round, Oettinger has a 2.47 goals-against average with 362 saves. Expect him to get peppered by more shots from offensively gifted Edmonton.

1. Frederik Andersen | Carolina Hurricanes

Andersen is at the peak of his game. He has a league-best 1.36 goal-against average and a playoff-best .937 save percentage (177 stops of 189 shots). He held the Washington Capitals to just seven goals in the five-game series. In winning a first-round series against Montreal 4-1, the Capitals scored 18 goals.

In his post-game interview after the Hurricanes defeated the Capitals, Carolina captain Jordan Staal called Andersen a “stud” and noted his calmness and steady play helped win the series.

“He was able to give us a chance, and that’s all you ask for. He was great all series long, just steady," Staal noted.

Rachel Olsen-Cooper

Rachel Olsen-Cooper started her sports reporting career at U-92 FM Morgantown covering all things WVU and National sports. She loves hockey and college sports, and can be found playing video games and watching the Pittsburgh Penguins in her downtime. She received her master's in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2024

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