With the league in the stretch run of the 2015-16 season, goaltending performances are standing out more and more. Last week, many of the masked men proved crucial for their teams, while a few uncharacteristically struggled at the most inopportune time. Here’s a look back at some of those performances.
A step up
Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning: The netminder extended his personal winning streak to six games with a 24-save performance during a 4-3 win in overtime over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. It was Tampa’s record-setting ninth straight win. Overall, he’s 28-17-3 with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in 49 games this season.
Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets: The rookie goalie is getting an opportunity to showcase his skills and that’s exactly what he’s been doing of late. He made 33 saves to help the Blue Jackets to a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. He’s 4-1-0 in his past five games and improved to 13-8-4, with a 2.61 GAA and a .918 save percentage, this season.
Matt Niskanen, Washington Capitals: Provided the game-winning goal at 2:36 of overtime to lead the Capitals to a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday. It was his third gamer-winner this season, and all have come since Feb. 7. He has four points in the past six games.
A step down
Petr Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings: The goalie witnessed firsthand the domination of the Blackhawks. On Wednesday, Mrazek allowed five goals on 33 shots as Chicago posted a 5-2 win. On Sunday, the Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane scored 21 second into the game and Chicago led a 2-0 lead at 6:19 of the first after Mrazek allowed two goals on the first tive shots he faced. Jimmy Howard then replaced Mrazek.
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings: The rookie sensation has cooled off a bit recently. The forward has only one goal and one assist in the past 11 games. Overall, he has 19 goals and 20 assists in 63 games.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
A step up
Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks: His 32-save performance during Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings matched a career-high with his seventh consecutive victory. Andersen has earned at least one point in 15 straight games with a 13-0-2 record in that span.
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers: The rookie posted a goal and assist during Friday’s 6-3 loss to the Blue Jackets. He missed 37 games earlier this season due to a broken collarbone, but since returning to the lineup on Feb. 2, McDavid has eight goals and 14 assists in 18 games. Despite missing all those games, he is tied for sixth among rookies with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points.
Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets: Registered his first career hat trick to help the Jets to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. It was also his second straight multi-goal game. He’s reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time.
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators: He has 14 goals in the past 14 games and his performances are a big reason why the Predators have gone 12 games without a regulation loss, posting an 8-0-4 record during that span.
Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers: He went 3-0-0 with a shutout, a 0.65 goals-against average and a .981 save percentage last week. Talbot posted wins over the Sabres (31 saves), Flyers (35 saves in a 4-0 shutout) and Jets (39 saves).
A step down
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars: One of the top point producers in the league, Seguin has now gone four straight games without a point, which matches a season-high pointless skid. The Stars are 2-3-1 in their last six games. Overall, Seguin has 32 goals and 36 assists in 67 games this season.
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames: This is the first time his been in this category this season. The Flames are 1-6-1 in their past eight games, and Gaudreau has gone three games without a point and has only one assist in the last four games. He recently produced a 12-game point streak with three goals and nine assists for 12 points, but he’s been held off the score sheet the past three.