Goalie Analysis #1

Well, there have certainly been some surprises around the league in terms of goaltending. The biggest has been the Avalanche goaltender. Semyon Varlamov has opened the season with a .950 save percentage and GAA of 1.68 - pretty impressive numbers. If he keeps this up he should be a Vezina trophy contender.

Varly and his team after a win

Antti Niemi has picked up right where he left off. He leads the league in wins and games played. Antti also has the best team in the NHL so far. The San Jose Sharks have not lost a game in regulation. 

    

  

 Antti Niemi's mask for the 2013-2014 season 

Unfortunately, Henrik Lundqvist has been a disappointment. So far, he only has two wins. However, the Rangers' bad start isn't all his fault. He isn't the Vezina contender we have seen for the past few years. King Henrik has given up twenty goals in his his seven games. That is the fourth most in the NHL. I believe that the new pad sizing rules are affecting him. Before the rule was placed he seemed to have oversized pads. That being said, he is an excellent goaltender that is just going through a slump. 

Henrik Lundqvist.

Another goalie making his mark is Toronto goaltender Jonathan Bernier. In the time that his goaltending partner, James Reimer, has been injured, he has stepped up and proven that he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL.

 

Jonathan's huge glove save against the Oilers