By Krishna Bhagnathsingh, The Hockey News Intern
There are plenty of high-caliber goalies in the NHL. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck, to name a couple, have been dominant for the past several years. At the same time, some goalies are often overlooked.
Here are some unheralded NHL goalies this season.
Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
Thompson has been one of the best goalies in the league this season, sporting an impressive 31-6-6 record, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average. He began the season with seven straight wins in the blue paint.
While Thompson could be eyeing a possible Vezina Trophy, his play has been relatively overshadowed lately, with his teammate Alex Ovechkin chasing the NHL’s all-time goals record.
Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings
Kuemper has a respectable record (27-10-7) and has the second-best GAA in the league (2.08) among goalies with 20 games played or more, and is top 10 in save percentage (.920).
The 34-year-old has been a helping hand in propelling the Kings to second place in the Pacific Division. If his numbers translate to the playoffs, Kuemper could help lead L.A. past the first round for the first time since the Kings won the Cup in 2014.
Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina Hurricanes
The 25-year-old goalie has done his fair share in the crease this season, especially when veteran netminder Frederik Andersen was out due to a knee injury that required surgery. Since Nov. 21, when Andersen went down, Kochetkov was top 20 in the league for save percentage until the mid-way point of March.
Mind you, Kochetkov has slowed down of late – his three most recent losses saw him let in a combined 14 goals – but the season as a whole has been a success for the netminder. Despite Andersen’s return to action, Kochetkov has earned the chance to be the starting goalie in Carolina.
Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames
Wolf has been turning heads with his play in Calgary all season long. The rookie netminder has a 25-16-6 record, including an impressive .910 SP. Wolf is the only rookie goalie to make 30-plus starts this year, as he’s held down the fort in Calgary.
He could very well claim the Calder Trophy as the league’s best freshman this season when all is said and done.
Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks
Dostal has been a silver lining in Anaheim this season, given that he has a winning record (22-20-6), which isn’t easy to do when you play for the rebuilding Ducks. He has taken up more time in net this season than veteran goalie, and career Duck, John Gibson. Given that he’s only 24, he could well be Anaheim’s No. 1 option in net going forward.
Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
Gustavsson started the season hot, winning four of his first five games. He has cooled down a bit, but remains a big reason why Minnesota holds a wild-card position in the West. Not to mention, he became the 15th NHL goalie to be credited with a goal back in October.
Gustavsson’s 29 wins are a career high for him and are good enough to rank in the top 10 league-wide.
Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche
Blackwood was traded to the Avs from the San
Jose Sharks in a goalie swap for Alexandar Georgiev in early December. He made
an immediate impact in the Mile High City, winning six of his first seven games
with Colorado and posting a .932 save percentage during that span.
Before Dec. 9, when Blackwood was traded to the Avs, Colorado had a goals-against average of 3.55. Since his first start with the team on Dec. 14, the Avs’ GAA has dropped to 2.26. Blackwood has complemented the Avs’ strong offense and defense with top-notch goaltending since joining the team.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.