NHL: Ranking the starting goaltenders of the Atlantic Division

Carey Price’s subpar regular season is the lone reason he comes in at three on this list. He remains one of the better goaltenders in the NHL, but the notion that he is the best of the best seems to be fading. He finished the 2019-20 season with a record of 27-25-6, a hefty workload for the 33-year old who will surely benefit from the addition of Jake Allen.

The Canadiens goaltender had a 2.79 GAA and a .909 SV%, leading the league with 11 RBS. Yet, Price’s talent remains undeniable, exemplified by his 1.45 HDGAA and .823 HDSV%. As good as Price was during the postseason, his regular-season numbers were inexplicably poor, especially for his standards.

A QS% of 53.1 is low for the former Vezina Trophy winner, and a GSAA of -1.31 capped off a disappointing performance last season. With a lesser workload in 2021 due to Montreal’s solid additions, look for Price to have a bounce-back campaign.

The goaltending duo leader, which took home the Jennings Trophy, Tuukka Rask, had a phenomenal 2019-20 for the Boston Bruins. Yes, the Bruins were absolutely loaded on both sides of the puck. But Rask was still exceptional, finishing as a Vezina finalist due to his 26-8-6 record, 2.12 GAA, and a .929 SV%.

His numbers across the board were brilliant, posting a QS% of 68.3 and a GSAA of a whopping 22.51. It seemed as though Rask appeared on the highlight reels nightly, flashing the leather consistently. In high danger opportunities, Rask was just as brilliant, compiling a .849 HDSV% and a 1.05 HDGAA.

The bubble drama aside, 2019-20, was a very memorable year for the Bruins goalie and had the next goaltender not been in the division, Rask would have easily claimed the top spot.

A Vezina Trophy finalist in each of the last three seasons, winning it once in 2019, Andrei Vasilevskiy is the NHL’s best goaltender. He backstopped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup with his outstanding play, carrying the load like he always does for Tampa.

Leading the league with 35 wins, Vasilevskiy went 35-14-3, finishing with a 2.56 GAA, .917 SV%, and a 59.6 QS%. He did have seven RBS, but he made up for it with a GSAA of 12.13. Yes, his numbers were not as good as Rask’s in 2019-20, but Vasilevsky is still the cream of the crop in this division.

Vasilevskiy was still phenomenal in high-danger situations, recording a .828 HDSV% and a 1.34 HDGAA. It was another sensational campaign for the Lightning’s goalie, one that ended with his hoisting of the Stanley Cup.

You would be hard-pressed to find a better top-three in any other NHL division than that of the Atlantic. Headlined by Vasilevskiy, this division certainly has its fair share of studs between the pipes.