Aerin Frankel and Ann-Renee Desbiens have been the best netminders in the world this season, including in the PWHL. But who has been better? Their numbers look almost identical, but has one netminder done more for their team?
Aerin Frankel and Ann-Renee Desbiens have been the PWHL's top goaltenders by a landslide this season.
Through 23 games each, USA's national team starter, and Canada's national team starter have shockingly similar numbers.
Desbiens has allowed 25 goals for a 1.08 GAA compared to Frankel's 27 goals and 1.16 GAA. Both have notched seven shutouts, a new single season record for shutouts in a PWHL campaign.
Looking at save percentage, Desbiens sits at .956 to Frankel's .954 with Desbiens facing 568 shots against to Frankel's 591.
Data and graphic from InStatThose are the surface level numbers however. When you drill them down further, things shift slightly.
Looking at the quality of shot, as measured by "expected goals" (xG), an advanced statistic that combines both the place on the ice that a shot comes from with the type of shot, Frankel has faced more difficulty than Desbiens, but not by much.
Looking at only shots with an xG of 0.2 or higher, which means a shot from that position is expected to score 20% of the time, Frankel has faced 48 compared to Desbiens' 44.
The biggest difference statistically between the two, is Frankel's ability to turn aside these high danger chances. Frankel has a higher save percentage when looking at these opportunities stopping .833 of those shots, while Desbiens has stopped only .795 from high danger areas.
Data and graphic from InStat
Data and graphic from InStatIn other words, when things break down for Boston, and they give up a premiere scoring opportunity, Frankel bailed her team out slightly more often than Desbiens. In goaltending, .038, which is the difference between their high xG shots, is enough to make or break a goaltender, and in this case, it's been enough for Frankel to save Boston more often than Desbiens bails out Montreal.
Defensively, Montreal gave Desbiens more help this season as times as well. The Victoire have blocked 28 more shots this season than the Fleet, and Boston also turns the puck over in their own zone slightly more often than Montreal at 13 times per game on average compared to Montreal's 12.2. Overall, Boston also spends slightly less time per game with offensive zone possession than Montreal, and also, on average, spends 49 seconds per game more than than Victoire defending.
Offensively, Montreal has a positive goal differential of 36 this season, while Boston's is lower at 26.
While the differences are small, the impact both goaltenders have had on their respective rosters this season has been massive.