It looks like the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs are dominated by elite goaltending and Trent Miner is leading the way with four shutouts for the Colorado Eagles.
In the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, there have been 14 shutouts. Trent Miner of the Colorado Eagles has four of them. What’s crazier is that Miner has only started seven playoff games, so even with dominant goaltending around the American Hockey League, he’s stood out.
Miner shutout the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game One of the Pacific Division Final with a 20-save performance to lead the Eagles to a 3-0 victory. His save percentage (SV%) is .958 and his goals-against average (GAA) is a mind-boggling 0.95 in the playoffs.
It’s the year of the goaltender in the AHL, certainly during the playoffs. Yet, Miner is leading the way and has put the Eagles on an impressive run so far.
Miner is on a Heater & Can’t Be Beat
Miner had a rocky start to his pro career. He battled injuries in his first three seasons as he continued to develop and learn the AHL game. Even his 2025-26 season was a letdown as he had a .904 SV% and a 2.62 GAA but the 25-year-old goaltender is coming into form at the right time and just in time for the playoffs.
The shutout against the Firebirds wasn’t even his most impressive shutout in the playoffs. Miner shut down the Henderson Silver Knights, a team that averaged 3.6 goals per game this season, in Game One and Game Three of the previous round.
For Miner, this playoff run is putting him on the map. While the Eagles defense has helped him out by limiting the shot volume, he’s still been their best player. Goaltenders take time to develop and Miner is hitting his stride now. It’s what happened with Arturs Silovs last year as he led the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup title and it might happen again with the Eagles starter.
Miner isn’t the Only One Either
The goaltending throughout the playoffs has been incredible and it’s a noticeable trend around the league. Along with Miner, the list of goaltenders putting together great playoff runs seems endless.
- Sergei Murashov has allowed only eight goals in five shots and is coming off a shutout of his own.
- Georgi Romanov’s .950 SV% has allowed the Springfield Thunderbirds to upset two of the AHL’s best teams in the Charlotte Checkers and the Providence Bruins.
- Michal Postava has been incredible for the Grand Rapids Griffins, allowing only five goals in four starts. It’s more impressive for the rookie Postava, considering he wasn’t the primary starter during the regular season.
- Zach Sawchenko found another gear for the Cleveland Monsters.
- Even some of the eliminated goaltenders played great, including Domenic DiVincentiis, Clay Stevenson, and Michael DiPietro, all of whom had a GAA under 2.00 in the playoffs.
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It’s hard to explain the rise in goaltending. However, it’s clear that elite play in the net matters in the playoffs, and the teams that don’t have it aren’t going far. In the regular season, baseline play will allow a team to get by but in the playoffs, it’s been exposed.
What The Goaltending Resurgence Says About The AHL & Playoffs
Hockey has a way of setting trends and having the pendulum swing the other way a few years later. One year it’s offense and then the next it’s defense. Sometimes years it’s all about speed and skill while other years it’s about checking and physicality. So, maybe after years of poor goaltending, the position is making a comeback. The irony is that goaltending is down around the NHL.
This might also be part of the data-driven movement from coaches and teams. Coaches aren’t throwing the puck away and are waiting for their high-quality shots. On top of that, teams are valuing possession since the other team can’t score when they don’t have the puck. It’s made playoff games low-scoring.
It’s also worth adding that defenses are playing better this time of the year. It takes a full season, if not more, for the prospects to learn the position, and by now, they not only defend well but they also know their goaltenders' tendencies the best. That’s certainly been the case with Miner, as the defense has played well in front of him.
In the end, it’s an interesting trend to follow, especially if goaltending is making a comeback. The AHL is sometimes a preview of what’s to come in the NHL, and if goaltending is elite at this level, it will be in a few years at the next level.