The reason could be having two strong goalies, two weak goalies, a change in the hot hand or netminders with injury history. But these NHL teams have an uncertain goaltending situation as the playoffs begin.
Two NHL playoff teams made tough goalie decisions that paid off on Saturday.
The Minnesota Wild had to choose one of two stellar netminders to start Game 1 of the playoffs. They chose Jesper Wallstedt, who had a 2.61 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 35 games this season, to play instead of Filip Gustavsson, who had a 2.69 GAA and .904 SP in 50 games.
Wallstedt proved his team right, stopping 27 of 28 shots in their 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
The Carolina Hurricanes, meanwhile, chose between two goalies who had save percentages below .900 this season.
Instead of going with Brandon Bussi, who had a 2.47 GAA and .895 SP in 39 starts, coach Rod Brind'Amour trusted Frederik Andersen, who recorded a 3.05 GAA and .874 SP in 35 games played.
Andersen stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 2-0 Hurricanes win over the Ottawa Senators.
Some teams don't have to think as hard about who to start in net for Game 1.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Utah Mammoth and others have a bona fide starter. The Stars and Senators do as well despite the Game 1 loss.
However, some teams are either uncertain about who should get the crease for the playoff opener or generally uncomfortable about their goaltending situation.
Here are five more teams that don't have a good grip on what's going to happen between the pipes.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres capped off an incredible regular season by winning the Atlantic Division title after missing the playoffs for 14 straight years. To achieve that, a team can't possibly have underwhelming goaltending.
For Buffalo, their goaltending wasn't terrible, but they have shuffled through three different goalies in April.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who is Buffalo's confirmed starter for Sunday's Game 1, was out of the lineup multiple times during the season due to a lower-body injury. The Finnish goalie recorded a .910 SP and a 2.52 GAA over 35 games in the regular season.
Alex Lyon got just one start this month before suffering a lower-body injury, but he has been solid for the Sabres all year round. He has a .907 save percentage, 2.77 goals-against average and 20 wins in 36 appearances.
And then there is waiver pickup, Colten Ellis. The former St. Louis Blues goaltender has only made 14 starts but still posted a .903 SP and a 2.90 GAA.
Lukkonen's healthy right now, so there's not much doubt about running with him for now. But if results go differently than expected, coach Lindy Ruff can go with one of two other solid netminders.
Colorado Avalanche
It's not that the Colorado Avalanche don't have good goaltending and are unable to keep the puck out of their net. Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood have been exceptional for the Avs this year, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy together.
Where the doubt and uncertainty creep in for Colorado's coaching staff is who to go with or whether to share the crease.
Wedgewood has a .921 save percentage and 2.02 GAA in 45 starts Blackwood, who was Colorado's starter last post-season, was injured at times this year but has a .904 SP and 2.51 GAA in 39 games.
The Bruins faced a similar situation when they had Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman when they were a tandem in Boston. Both excellent netminders who could take the reins.
But if one has an off night, coach Jared Bednar could change course and pick the other goalie for the following game. That could either be a panic move or simply the right call.
Edmonton Oilers
Following back-to-back Stanley Cup final losses and a slow start to this season with Stuart Skinner in the crease, Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman decided it was time for a fresh face between the pipes.
He traded Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Tristan Jarry part of the return.
That decision hasn't panned out. Jarry had a 3.86 GAA and .858 SP in 19 games for Edmonton.
Connor Ingram, who started this season in the AHL, has taken the lead, starting five of the Oilers' last seven games. He will almost certainly start Game 1 of the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks.
Ingram does have playoff experience, but it doesn't necessarily ease any concerns Oilers fans may have about consistently reliable goaltending in the post-season.
The 29-year-old's four career playoff games came in 2022 with the Nashville Predators. He posted a .913 save percentage but failed to earn a win.
As an inconsistent Skinner and Calvin Pickard showed in the last two post-seasons, the Oilers can win almost any game with a strong showing in the crease, and they lose far more often than not otherwise. Ingram must prove early on that he's different.
Los Angeles Kings
For the most part, Darcy Kuemper was the undisputed starting goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings this season.
He was putting together a respectable campaign and was even selected to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics.
However, all that changed in the latter stages of the year. His play dropped, and Anton Forsberg emerged.
Since returning from the Olympics, Kuemper had an .867 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA in 14 games.
Forsberg, meanwhile, put up a .923 SP and 2.35 GAA in his last 13 games. He even earned the NHL's first star of the week last Monday.
With Forsberg's red-hot end to the regular season, he should be the starter in Game 1, but the 33-year-old has never made a post-season appearance in his 11-year NHL career. Kuemper won the Stanley Cup as the Avalanche's No. 1 goalie in 2022.
Vegas Golden Knights
With the amount of talent the Vegas Golden Knights have in their forward group, on the blueline and behind the bench, the team's goaltending is most likely to hold them back this post-season.
The duo that will probably dress for the Golden Knights is Adin Hill, who backstopped Vegas to its first Stanley Cup in 2023, and Carter Hart, who made his season debut in December.
Based on experience, Hill would be the right choice. But it's not that simple a decision for John Tortorella, who was hired by Vegas less than a month ago.
Hart suffered an injury in January, forcing him out of action until April. But since returning, he's been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
He started in all but one contest for the Golden Knights in April, winning all six starts with a .930 save percentage and 1.66 GAA.
Hart's late surge was a big reason Vegas won the Pacific Division, and he could be the netminder they look to for the playoffs.
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