The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

Last season, 12 goalies won at least 30 games. With less than 20 games to go in the season, only one goalie so far has eclipsed that mark: Linus Ullmark. There are six other goalies who have won at least 27 games, and all of them will most likely hit the 30-win milestone, but it's basically half the total from last season and further proof that goaltending has been voodoo.

Here's this week's Goalie Report.

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Philipp Grubauer, Kraken (Past five games: 4-1-0, .897 Sv%, 2.57 GAA)

That save percentage is still concerning, but when the Kraken start winning games, they win a lot. They're one of the streakiest teams in the league and they're on a roll with five wins in their past six games. Grubauer has also clearly taken over the starting job from Martin Jones, who has been awful aside from the winning streaks in November and January. Down the stretch with the Kraken vying for the division title, look for Grubauer to grab the lion's share of the starts. Being in the Pacific Division means the Kraken are assured of some pretty easy matchups for the rest of the season.

Joonas Korpisalo, Kings (2-0-0, .929 Sv%, 2.01 GAA)

Well, this is certainly an interesting development. Korpisalo was pretty good for the Jackets but has been even better for the Kings, and now we have a goalie controversy brewing in Hollywood. The Kings wouldn't be where they are without Pheonix Copley, who has won three straight games, but compared to Korpisalo he has far less experience, especially in the playoffs where Copley has literally zero experience. That might play into the Kings' playoff plans, which also means they'd be inclined to give Korpisalo more playing time down the stretch to help him get acclimated to his new team and system a lot faster.

The Kings have won five in a row with Korpisalo and Copley alternating starts in the past four games; we're looking at a 50-50 split at a minimum here, with Korpisalo gaining an inside edge already. Fantasy managers looking for goaltending help can pick up Korpisalo, and those who have rostered with Copley should see if they can roster both for insurance.

Jonathan Quick, Golden Knights (2-0-0, .908 Sv%, 2.92 GAA)

Well, how the turntables have… you get it. Just as The Office never seemed to be the same without Michael Scott, it's odd to see Quick in Vegas gold rather than the Kings' black and silver. After publicly admitting that he was motivated to prove the Kings wrong, Quick has made good on his word and won both of his starts with the Knights. The performances weren't spectacular and he's unlikely to usurp Adin Hill for the starting job, but he's making a strong case for more playing time. The Knights are a streaky team but under Bruce Cassidy play a system that makes it easier for goalies. Quick has obviously been a beneficiary, and that will continue. At this juncture, Quick is back on the radar as a streaming option.

Mads Sogaard, Senators (5-1-1, .899 Sv%, 2.94 GAA)

Cam Talbot's injury was devastating news for the Senators, who were counting on his experience as they fight for a playoff spot. They've won six of their past seven with Sogaard winning three of those games, and he'll be the starter going forward with untested rookie Kevin Mandolese backing him up. This is a tough task for Sogaard, who will be making just his 10th career start Saturday against the Canucks. For fantasy managers looking for quantity, Sogaard will be a solid pickup as long as the Sens can keep providing good goal support. The save percentage and GAA won't look pretty, but as I said in the intro, finding a goalie who can win games has already been plenty difficult.

Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes (11-4-5, .917 Sv%, 2.21 GAA)

Kochetkov has been a hero of sorts for the Canes this season. He was assigned to the minors after both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta returned to the lineup, but with Raanta battling an illness, the Canes re-called Kochetkov and he promptly responded with a 19-save shutout against the Flyers. It was a relatively easy win, but with a back-to-back this weekend, Kochetkov will get any chance to start. Raanta is not expected to be out for very long, which means Kochetkov's fantasy value will be short-lived and fantasy managers should take advantage of it if they have the roster space or are looking for a goalie to stream.

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Vitek Vanecek, Devils (Past five games: 3-2-0, .821 Sv%, 4.26 GAA)

Vanecek has allowed three or more goals in five straight games and with one more start will tie his career-long streak of such outings, set last season with the Caps. Vanecek has been very good for stretches this season but still occasionally goes through stretches where he looks awful. This is one of those times; the defense hasn't been very good, having been publicly criticized by Lindy Ruff, though Vanecek hasn't done himself any favours, either. With Mackenzie Blackwood on injured reserve, Akira Schmid is only a stopgap solution before the Devils commit to Vanecek for the playoffs. Vanecek should stay on the bench until they turn it around — tough matchups are coming up with the Canes and then the Lightning in three of their next six games.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres (Past four games: 1-3-0, .866 Sv%, 5.09 GAA)

There's no panic because the Sabres are focused on their long-term plan, but their playoff hopes are diminishing with every poor start from UPL. He's undoubtedly their goalie of the future and he'll likely retain his No. 1 job, though keep in mind the Sabres are also carrying Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson on their roster. Comrie just allowed 10 goals (!) against the Stars — though he can't be blamed too much given he faced 49 shots — and he's clearly the third-best option, while Anderson has still been pretty effective even though he's the league's oldest goalie and has been known to fade in the second half of the season. Unless the Sabres are on a hot streak or playing on the road, UPL and the rest of their goalies should be avoided.