The Colorado Avalanche are no strangers to the playoffs in recent years. They won the Stanley Cup last season and have locked down a playoff spot for the sixth season in a row. However, despite all those consistent results, they haven’t had consistency between the pipes. During that stretch, Colorado has used five different No. 1 goaltenders in the playoffs.
This season, the reins have been Alexandar Georgiev, who the team traded for in the offseason. The 27-year-old netminder has been pretty good in his first season as the top option in the net for the Avs, and the team will be leaning on him when the playoffs start. A lot of attention goes to Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon for the seasons they’re having – and rightfully so – but Georgiev might be the most important player as the Avs gear up to defend their Stanley Cup crown.
Georgiev Takes Over in Colorado
The Avalanche brought in Georgiev as the No. 1 option, and he hasn’t disappointed. In his first season as the primary starter, he’s poised to set career bests in save percentage and goals-against average, and he has posted a career-high five shutouts. One of those was a critical 31-save effort in a pivotal contest on Feb. 27 against the rival Vegas Golden Knights. The five shutouts are second in the NHL behind the six posted by Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders.
The increase in shutouts is only part of the story. Georgiev has started more than three-quarters of the team’s games this season, which is a big workload increase for a guy who never played in more than 34 games in his previous five NHL campaigns. That workload hasn’t slowed him down, either. He’s lost back-to-back starts only twice this season and put together an impressive 11-2-1 stretch from the middle of March, where he gave up more than three goals just twice.
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Of course, Colorado’s offense can forgive a lot of sins for a goaltender, but Georgiev has been holding the team up in his own right. Along with his impressive shutout numbers, he’s also in the top 10 in every other meaningful goaltending category. Most importantly for the Avalanche, he just keeps winning. Georgiev is second in the NHL in wins behind Linus Ullmark – the backstop for the Boston Bruins, who are in the midst of one of the best seasons in NHL history.
Colorado’s Rotating Door in the Crease
For as solid and consistent as Colorado’s offensive threats have been the past few seasons, the goaltending position has seen a lot of turnover. Since the 2017-18 season – Jared Bednar’s second season as head coach – the Avalanche have started 18 different goalies. Semyon Varlamov played the most games during that stretch (389), but hasn’t been with the team since signing with the New York Islanders in 2019.
Even with the turnover, the Avalanche have been good at capturing lighting in a bottle from a goaltending standpoint. They won the Cup last season with a big contribution from goaltender Darcy Kuemper, and Philipp Grubauer was a Vezina Trophy finalist the season before in helping Colorado win the Presidents’ Trophy. Both of those players came to Colorado in trades, but both left the team in free agency.
Grubauer was the go-to guy for Colorado in back-to-back postseasons, as he was stellar in the 2020 Playoffs before exiting with an injury. His departure to the Seattle Kraken opened the door for Kuemper, who was rock solid a year ago. That set the stage for Georgiev, and he hasn’t disappointed. However, there is a question mark around his playoff experience. While Grubauer and Kuemper had some playoff experience when they arrived in Colorado, Georgiev has only two playoff appearances in his NHL career.
Translating Georgiev’s Season to Playoff Success
Both of Georgiev’s playoff appearances came with the New York Rangers last season, and both were relief appearances when Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin struggled against the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s not a big resume to build off of, but Georgiev gave up only two goals across those appearances, combining for just under 60 minutes on the ice.
The best thing Georgiev has going for him in Colorado is the success of the skaters in front of him. Even if the goaltender doesn’t have all of the playoff reps as his predecessors, he knows he has a high-powered offense in front of him. Georgiev also plays with a lot of confidence, even when facing a heavy workload. For example, he had a stretch in January and February where he stopped at least 26 shots in 15 straight games. He stopped at least 30 shots in all but three of those games and lifted the Avs to an 11-3-1 record during that stretch.
Related: Georgiev Has Kept Avalanche Afloat
The talent is there with Georgiev, just like the Avs were able to realize with Kuemper and Grubauer before him. Looking at Georgiev’s regular season, the Avalanche could have their next diamond in the rough between the pipes, but he might not be a one-year wonder. Georgiev’s contract runs through 2024-25, meaning the Avalanche might be settling in on their long-term goaltender. And if his first season in Denver is any indication, he could help the Avalanche sustain their winning ways for years to come.
