Avalanche have unique approach to goalie deployment

Michael DeRosa

Jan 17, 2024, 01:59

Michael DeRosa

Jan 17, 2024, 01:59

The Avalanche made a unique decision with their roster for their game against Ottawa.

The Colorado Avalanche are looking to get back in the win column tonight against the Ottawa Senators after a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Interestingly, for this matchup against Ottawa, their top goaltender will not be available at all.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has put Justus Annunen in the net for the game, while Ivan Prosvetov is backing him up. As a result, All-Star goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is getting a much-needed night off as a healthy scratch.

Georgiev, 27, has been quite busy as of late, as he already appeared in seven games since the start of 2024. Now, he will get some rest as the Avalanche look to get two points against the Senators.

However, it is also quite intriguing to see Georgiev not even be dressed as the backup for this game, as he is their No. 1 goalie. This is quite a unique approach by the Avalanche, but it also gives a young goaltender like Annunen the chance to face off against a struggling Senators club.

Fatigue for goalies is a real thing. The combination of advanced statistics and advanced health science should lead to more interesting lineup choices for goaltenders going forward.

Perhaps we could see the Avalanche do this more often as the season continues. It is a unique strategy, and we will need to see if it works out from here.

Avalanche have unique approach to goalie deployment