Going into last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, no one knew what to expect from the Vegas Golden Knights in terms of their goaltending.
The team had Adin Hill, Laurent Brosoit, and two-time Cup winner Jonathan Quick on its playoff roster. However, the team’s other goaltender, Logan Thompson, was nursing multiple injuries and could not play.
There was no doubt that the team had the goods when it came to their forwards and defensive corps. With that said, would their goaltending be good enough to help them win the Cup?
We all know the answer to that question as the Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final in five games to capture their first Cup in franchise history. While forward Jonathan Marchessault certainly deserved to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s most valuable player during the postseason, a lot of credit should have also gone to Hill.
In the postseason last year, Hill, 27, was 11-4 with a 2.17 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage, and two shutouts. He made timely saves, was calm, cool, and collected between the pipes, and gave his team a chance every night to win when it mattered most. He provided the kind of goaltending that is necessary to capture hockey’s Holy Grail.
While Hill’s performance last season surprised everyone in hockey, what is even more surprising is just how great he has played this season. As of this writing, Hill is 14-2-0-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .937 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Yes, he has not played in a ton of games due to the various injuries he has dealt with, but those numbers are still very impressive. He is currently first in the league in both goals-against average and save percentage.
There are a few reasons why Hill is playing well this season. For starters, he has been consistent when put between the pipes.
When he is in goal, he stops a lot of pucks, does not allow soft goals, puts himself in a good position to stop first and second chances, and he does a great job of controlling his rebounds. His performance in his last four games shows just how consistent he is when he is in the net:
- January 23rd against the New York Islanders: Stopped 40 of 42 shots and got the win.
- January 26th against the New York Rangers: Stopped 36 of 38 shots and got the win.
- February 6th against the Edmonton Oilers: Stopped 30 of 31 shots and got the win.
- February 8th against the Arizona Coyotes: Stopped 20 of 22 shots and got the win.
Another reason why Hill is playing so well is because the team in front of him is playing the same way. As of this writing, the Golden Knights are eighth in the league in goals allowed as they do a great job of letting their goaltenders see the puck, clearing rebounds, and making smart plays with the puck in their end.
Lastly, Hill is having a lot of success this season because his confidence level is high. The way he played in the playoffs last year showed himself, the team, and the rest of the league that he can be an elite goaltender.
That is exactly what Hill has been this season. He has not been afraid to challenge shooters, he has come up with big saves, and he has won most of the games he has played in this season.
If Hill continues to give his team this kind of goaltending for the rest of the regular season and then carries it into the most important part of the year, there is no reason why Hill and the Golden Knights cannot lift the Cup again come June.
ITR 35: Round One – Inside The Rink
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