The Golden Knights don't know what it means to get goalie'd.
Vegas has faced some of the best goaltenders in the NHL during its run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. It hasn't meant a damn thing.
First, it was Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, a Vezina winner, three-time All-Star and arguably the best current American goaltender. Then, it was Edmonton's Stuart Skinner, a 2023 All-Star and Calder Trophy finalist, followed by Jake Oettinger, regarded as the top up-and-coming goaltender in the league.
None of them could contain the offense of the Golden Knights, and that trend has continued into the Stanley Cup Final with Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Starting Goalie Save Percentage Leaders vs Vegas this postseason:
— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) June 6, 2023
.886 — Connor Hellebuyck
.877 — Jake Oettinger
.875 — Stuart Skinner
.826 — Sergei Bobrovsky
Vegas has shredded every goalie they've faced. pic.twitter.com/H90g7zqInw
The Florida goaltender entered the Stanley Cup Final scorching hot, winning 11 of his last 12 games while sporting a 2.21 GAA and a .935 SV%. He was the favorite to win the Conn Smythe when the final series began, but that has drastically changed now.
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Bobrovsky has allowed eight goals in two games against the Golden Knights. The four goals allowed in Game 1 were the first time since Game 6 against the Bruins in the first round that the Russian allowed at least four goals.
He followed that performance by getting chased in Game 2, giving up four goals on 13 shots before he was replaced in the second period by backup Alex Lyon. It marked the first time all postseason that Bobrovsky lost back-to-back games.
It's not necessarily anything Bobrovsky has done wrong. The Panthers defense hasn't helped in front of him, screening him on multiple occasions and breaking down in defensive coverage that has allowed the Golden Knights to get open in space for scoring chances.
But Vegas has been doing this all postseason, shredding goaltenders that are seen as game-changers. The Golden Knights are averaging 3.89 goals per game, the highest among all teams in this postseason, and are now two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
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2023 playoff goalie stats vs. Golden Knights
Sergei Bobrovsky
The Panthers picked the worst possible time to fall apart defensively, and Bobrovsky has not been there to save them.
The 34-year-old turned back the clock in the first three rounds, providing stellar goaltending for the Panthers since taking over for Lyon in the middle of the first round against the Bruins. However, it's been ugly against the Golden Knights.
Against the Golden Knights so far, Bobrovsky sports a .826 SV% and a 5.52 GAA. It's caused his 2023 postseason totals to shift drastically, going from a 2.21 GAA to a 2.97, and a .935 SV% to .908%. He hasn't been the problem for Florida, but he hasn't been the solution either.
Jake Oettinger
Entering the Western Conference Final, it was already evident that Jake Oettinger wasn't the same lights-out playoff performer we saw in 2022. The Stars goaltender was on and off through the first two rounds, looking unbreakable some nights while getting yanked early in others.
It was more of the same against the Golden Knights. Oettinger didn't play that poorly; his series totals were inflated due to a bad Dallas start in Game 3 that saw him give up three goals on the first five shots, and he was pulled. However, he wasn't the savior in net that the Stars needed him to be.
Oettinger finished the conference finals with a 3.84 GAA and a .877% save percentage. He gave up three or more goals in all four losses to Vegas, including six in the series-clinching Game 6, to end the season on a sour note.
Stuart Skinner
Skinner, like the Oilers, was extremely inconsistent in the 2023 playoffs. The rookie, who emerged out of nowhere this season to steal the job from Jack Campbell, wasn't good against the Kings in the first round, and that trend continued in the second against the Golden Knights.
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The goaltender was excellent in Edmonton's two wins against Vegas, allowing a single goal in each, however in the four losses against Vegas, Skinner allowed at least four goals in every one. He was pulled three times in favor of Campbell, a trend that never bodes well for a team looking to compete for a Cup.
In the six games against the Golden Knights, Skinner finished with a 3.97 GAA and a .875 SV%. It was yet another season where the defense and goaltending let the Oilers down.
Connor Hellebuyck
The Jets have relied upon Hellebuyck for a multitude of seasons now. The American goaltender has been the backbone of the team since arriving in Winnipeg, and if the Jets had any hope of getting past the Golden Knights in the first round, it was going to be on the shoulders of their goaltender.
That didn't happen. After stealing Game 1, the Jets dropped the next four games and were the first team eliminated in the 2023 postseason. Hellebuyck gave up a single goal in the first game, then five, five, three and four to end the series.
Hellebuyck ended the postseason sporting a .886 SV% and a 3.44 GAA. The Vezina contender had no answer to stop the potent Vegas offense.