Best Goaltending Approach for the PWHL Postseason

Every team is different but how should teams use their goaltenders when it comes to the postseason?

With the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) postseason coming up fast, in just a few weeks, it’s time to talk about a crucial part of the playoffs: goaltending. Fans, coaches, and everyone else debates what a team should do regarding those crucial games where your season’s future is on the line. Do you rotate the goaltenders? Or do you stay with the hot goaltender? How do you make the decision? 

These are important questions; honestly, there is no right or wrong answer because it’s all based on each team. Some teams do better with one goaltender playing every game, while others do well rotating. I know we’re talking about the PWHL but look at the NHL, for example. Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators has played 62 games, Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche has played 61 games, and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets has played 58 games. 

That’s nearly 75 percent of the season and many games, especially for a goaltender. It’s difficult but not uncommon for regular players to play all 82 games, but goaltenders playing over 60 games in a season are unreal. On the other hand, the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the top teams in the league, and their top goaltender, Pyotr Kochetkov, has played 41 games, while the other half has been split between two other goalies. So, every team is vastly different in their approaches.