At the top of every coach's wish list heading into the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs is quality goaltending.
With top-notch play between the pipes, teams are capable of playing at their highest confidence level and sometimes achieve far more than they ever believed possible.
But predicting which teams will receive hot goaltending is challenging. Last year Braden Holtby struggled so much down the stretch that he didn't start in Washington's opening game of the postseason. He ultimately took the job back, posted a .922 save percentage and raised the Stanley Cup. His competitor in the Cup Final, Marc-Andre Fleury, was long-known for playoff meltdowns, yet he managed an incredible .927 save percentage in 20 playoff starts.
So how can we predict what's to come for the goalies in this year's playoffs? We can look at which goalies have been on a roll heading into the postseason and whether history suggests they will keep it up or fade under the brightest lights.
Hot
1. Ben Bishop
Dallas Stars
2018-19 stat line: 46-27-15, .934 save percentage
Since March 1: .972 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .927 save percentage
For years the Stars struggled in net, especially in the playoffs. This time around, they enter as the team most confident in its netminder. Not only has Bishop taken a team to the Stanley Cup Final before, he did so with outstanding play. In 2013-14 with Tampa Bay he put together 17 quality starts (per Hockey Reference) in 25 outings with a .921 save percentage. Before being slowed by injury he was even better in 2015-16, posting a .939 save percentage. During the regular season in Dallas, Bishop led the NHL in save percentage (.934) and produced the ninth highest single-season save percentage in NHL history.
2. Philipp Grubauer
Colorado Avalanche
2018-19 stat line: 18-9-5, .917 save percentage
Since March 1: .952 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .835 save percentage
While Grubauer has never played more than 40 games in a season, he's put together an impressive career as a part-timer, registering a .921 save percentage in 138 games. However, his one opportunity as a postseason starter, with Washington last season, went down in flames quickly. He got the call in Game 1 of the opening series, but struggled and never saw the net again. Grubauer's incredible performance down the stretch pushed the Avalanche into the playoffs, so there's plenty of reasons for the Avs to believe he can win big games.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury
Vegas Golden Knights
2018-19 stat line: 32-21-5, .913 save percentage
Since March 1: .948 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .908 save percentage
The narrative surrounding Fleury has come full circle. Early in his career he was considered an elite goalie after reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, and then a stretch of rough postseason play earned him the tag of a choker. Now Fleury is back to being clutch again. In his past 55 playoff games, he has an outstanding .923 save percentage. The veteran netminder will face a serious test in Round 1 with the Sharks, a fast-paced team that tied for the most goals scored in the Western Conference.
4. Petr Mrazek
Carolina Hurricanes
2018-19 stat line: 23-14-3, .914 save percentage
Since March 1: .942 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .931 save percentage
It's been a while for the Carolina Hurricanes. A long while. Cam Ward was 24 years old the last time the 'Canes were in the playoffs. On the back of dominant goaltending from Mrazek, the team has finally landed a spot in the dance and has a chance to pull an upset against the defending Cup champs. Carolina's netminder has had his ups and downs over the past five seasons since becoming a full-time NHLer, but he's got an impressive team in front of him. Among Eastern Conference teams, only the Boston Bruins allowed fewer shot attempts against.
5. Sergei Bobrovsky
Columbus Blue Jackets
2018-19 stat line: 37-24-1, .913 save percentage
Since March 1: .933 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .898 save percentage
Bobrovsky has entered the playoffs among the hottest goalies for two years running but subsequently fell apart when the playoffs began. Between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 postseasons, he has a 3.48 goals against average with a .893 save percentage. No team can win with that type of goaltending. But it only takes one good series to change everyone's mind and Bobrovsky is due. He's a two-time Vezina Trophy winner with a .919 career save percentage. Even if things do click, however, Bobrovsky's team might be in over their heads against the runaway No. 1 scoring attack in the NHL.
6. Matt Murray
Pittsburgh Penguins
2018-19 stat line: 29-14-6, .919 save percentage
Since March 1: .931 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .923 save percentage
Murray set outrageously high expectations with two Cup wins in his first two seasons. He went 22-9 with a .928 save percentage to start his playoff career. Last year he drifted off with sub-par numbers during the regular and postseason. This time around, Murray appears to be back on his game following a slow start to the season. Overall he has a .919 save percentage and has given his team a quality start on 58.0 percent of outings. The Pens might not be favored, but if Murray plays anything like his first two postseasons, look out, East!
7. Pekka Rinne
Nashville Predators
2018-19 stat line: 30-19-4, .913 save percentage
Since March 1: .930 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .915 save percentage
Rinne is one of the few goalies who has a full season's worth of postseason play with 83 career playoff starts. He has a .915 save percentage in that large sample of big games, which is nearly identical to his career regular season save percentage (.918). Rinne squashed any questions about whether he could put the Predators on his back in 2017 when he put together a .930 save percentage and led them to the Cup Final.
Warm
8. Robin Lehner
New York Islanders
2018-19 stat line: 25-13-5, .930 save percentage
Since March 1: .925 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .920 save percentage
Talk about a roller-coaster career. Lehner went from top prospect in Ottawa to potential franchise goalie in Buffalo to outcast to redemption story with the Islanders. The Swedish netminder had a marvelous season under Barry Trotz, posting a .930 save percentage and 60.8 quality start percentage. Now the question is whether he can continue to play up to his potential in a seven-game series against two of the greatest scorers in history. The Isles, who ranked just 18th in "high danger" shots against (per Natural Stat Trick), will have to put together a complete defensive performance to challenge Pittsburgh.
9. Braden Holtby
Washington Capitals
2018-19 stat line: 32-19-5, .911 save percentage
Since March 1: .922 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .929 save percentage
With a big enough sample size and a ring on his finger, it's safe to say that Holtby is one of the best postseason goalies in NHL history. He's started 82 games and given up just a 2.04 goals against average with a .929 save percentage. Those are Vezina Trophy numbers for a single season. In fact, among active goalies, no other netminder has a lower goals-against average or higher career playoff save percentage than Holtby. The defending champs might not be the favorites to reach the Cup Final again, but they have the goalie to get them there.
10. Connor Hellebuyck
Winnipeg Jets
2018-19 stat line: 34-23-3, .913 save percentage
Since March 1: .921 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .922 save percentage
One year removed from finishing second in the Vezina Trophy race, Hellebuyck saw his play drift back into 2016-17 territory. He gave the Jets a quality start on just 45.2 percent of games, down from 60.9 percent the year before. Last year marked his first shot at playoff hockey and the 25-year-old played well, managing a .922 save percentage. Based on his recent play, he might be trending back in that direction. The Jets will need top-notch play in net considering they backed into the playoffs with just four wins in their final 10 games.
11. Jordan Binnington
St. Louis Blues
2018-19 stat line: 24-5-1, .927 save percentage
Since March 1: .912 save percentage
Career Playoffs: first appearance
At the center of St. Louis's incredible turnaround, Binnington came from out of nowhere to win 24 games in 30 starts and register the NHL's lowest goals-against average. Whether that translates to the playoffs is yet to be seen. Over the years many goalies have put together incredible stretches only to be exposed once the postseason came around. There should be some concern of that happening with Binnington's final month being pedestrian.
12. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Tampa Bay Lightning
2018-19 stat line: 39-10-4, .925 save percentage
Since March 1: .911 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .919 save percentage
Once upon a time, Vasilevskiy was a 20-year-old prospect who was called upon in the postseason when Ben Bishop suffered an injury. Now he's got three full seasons under his belt and has emerged as one of the best goalies in the NHL with a .921 save percentage in 168 games since taking over as the full-time starter. Vasilevskiy was strong in last year's postseason with a .918 save percentage. This time around he'll have the added pressure of being the odds-on favorite to win the Cup.
Cold
13. David Rittich and Mike Smith
Calgary Flames
2018-19 stat line: Rittich: 27-9-5, .911 save percentage -- Smith: 23-16-2, .898
Since March 1: Rittich: .905 save percentage -- Smith: .904 save percentage
Career Playoffs: Ritich: first appearence -- Smith: .945 save percentage
Calgary is an impressive team offensively and defensively. They gave up the fewest shot attempts against of anyone in the NHL and the third-fewest scoring chances against (per Natural Stat Trick), yet neither of their goaltenders was anywhere close to reliable. There's been no clear indication of which goalie will start and the hook might be quick for whoever gets the nod. Smith does have a remarkably good postseason history with 19 games and a .945 playoff save percentage. But his last playoff appearance came in 2012. Rittich had the higher regular-season save percentage by a wide margin (.911 to .898).
14. Frederik Andersen
Toronto Maple Leafs
2018-19 stat line: 36-16-7, .917 save percentage
Since March 1: 898 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .912 save percentage
Andersen has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. In his final season in Anaheim, he finished with a .919 save percentage and in three years with the Maple Leafs, Andersen has posted marks of .918, .918 and .917. This year was his best as a Leaf in terms of quality starts with 63.3 percent of his outings being successful. In the playoffs last year, however, Andersen did not rise to the challenge, giving up a 3.76 goals against average. The margin for error will be razor thin against the defensive-minded Bruins.
15. Martin Jones
San Jose Sharks
2018-19 stat line: 36-19-5, .896 save percentage
Since March 1: .896 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .926 save percentage
While Jones is wrapping up his runaway worst regular season as a starter, there still should be some confidence he can rise to playoff level again. Over 40 postseason games with the Sharks, he boasts a .926 save percentage and appeared in the Cup Final in 2016. The high-flying team in front of him doesn't allow many shots -- the second fewest attempts given up in the league, in fact -- but the Sharks rank 14th in "high danger" shots allowed, meaning Vegas will get its chances. San Jose will need the postseason version of Jones to show up.
16. Tuukka Rask
Boston Bruins
2018-19 stat line: 27-13-5, .912 save percentage
Since March 1: .881 save percentage
Career Playoffs: .924 save percentage
You won't find many teams as impressive defensively as the Bruins, who allowed the fewest "high danger" shots in the Eastern Conference. But Rask has all sorts of question marks. This season has been the worst of his career in save percentage, his last month was abysmal and his most recent performance in the postseaon did not even slightly resemble the elite version of Rask we knew from 2009-10 through 2014-15. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the B's make a change to Jaroslav Halak (career .924 postseason save percentage) if he struggles.