Crashing the Crease: Who's Hot, Who's Not

The season is young and it's, of course, unwise to overreact to early successes or struggles, but here are some goaltenders who are heating up the ice, and others were are cold, cold, cold.

WHO'S HOT

Semyon Varlamov, Avalanche - He's been MVP of the Avs as much as Nathan MacKinnon or Mikko Rantanen, sporting a 1.56 GAA and .953 save percentage this season and a .970 save percentage on the penalty kill, a big reason why the Avs are third in the league. He doesn't get attention because he's been injured so often, but Varlamov is creeping back into elite status and becoming a must-start goaltender behind the Avs' torrid top line. Varlamov has not posted a save percentage below .926 in any game this season.

Jaroslav Halak, Bruins - Halak shut out the Flyers in his most recent start and has a .945 save percentage this season, while Tuukka Rask continues to struggle with consistency. The more Rask struggles, the more starts Halak will get if he can keep this up. The Bruins have a light schedule with just two games this week but Bruce Cassidy may consider giving Halak one of those starts.

Antti Raanta, Darcy Kuemper, Coyotes - Kuemper has allowed just two goals in his last two starts and filled in admirably for Antti Raanta, who returned from illness yesterday and made 30 saves in a 7-1 win against the Lightning. However, Kuemper's strong play could give more reason for Rick Tocchet to give him more playing time over the course of the season. Despite a slow start, the Coyotes are just two points away from the division lead.

Laurent Brossoit, Jets - Brossoit is playing the best hockey of his career and has been perfect with three wins in three starts. Connor Hellebuyck, meanwhile, has struggled recently with 17 goals allowed in his last five games. Of course, Hellebuyck's not in danger of losing his job, but when backups play well it gives coaches a little more confidence to play him more often. The Jets head to Helsinki for the Global Series where Brossoit likely will start one of the back-to-back games against the struggling Panthers.

WHO'S NOT

Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets - Hopefully, a contract impasse is not the mental block that's preventing Bobrovsky from stopping pucks, but the reigning Vezina winner has looked awful in his contract year. He hasn't won in more than a week and in his last four starts has allowed 18 goals. Jonas Korpisalo has given up eight goals in two starts but also won both games, and at this point John Tortorella might have to go with the hot hand, meaning Bobrovsky's playing time gets cut.

Jake Allen and Chad Johnson, Blues - It's going to be a disastrous season for the Blues if their goaltending remains mediocre, even if part of the blame lies on their defense. Allen and Johnson have just two wins between them and together have a .887 save percentage at even strength. Even worse: Allen left last night's game and did not return, which may force a call up for either Jordan Binnington or Ville Husso. The Blues have a six-game homestand and only one opponent (Vegas) has a record below .500.

Mike Smith, Flames - We all knew this was coming, right? One of the league's most combustible goaltenders, Smith has a 4.10 GAA and .866 save percentage, including 13 goals allowed in his last three appearances. The Flames will play the high-scoring Leafs and Avs this coming week and starting Smith would be like playing with fire. If Smith doesn't turn it around soon, David Rittich might take his job, even if it's just in the short term.

Jonathan Quick, Kings - For a guy known to be a battler and never quitting on plays, Quick has been frustratingly bad with 16 goals allowed in his last three starts. The Kings are mired in a six-game losing streak and pressure on John Stevens is mounting; if they don't catch up to the rest of the division, a playoff berth seems unlikely. Quick should eventually recover, but it looks like a lower-body injury suffered earlier this season might still be bothering him.

James Reimer, Michael Hutchinson, Panthers - It's worrying how much the up-and-coming Panthers have to rely on the 39-year-old Roberto Luongo. It certainly doesn't help that the Panthers defense is pretty thin, but James Reimer has a .878 save percentage after going 22-14-6 with a .913 save percentage last season, and Hutchinson has been even worse with a .839 save percentage. Reimer and Hutchinson likely will split the back-to-back games at the Global Series, but don't expect any good press.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers - The Rangers sighed a breath of relief after Alexandar Georgiev turned in a better-than-expected performance against the Panthers, knowing that they can't ride the aging Lundqvist all season. He started off great with 10 goals allowed in his first five games but has allowed 11 goals in three games since. Father Time is undefeated and the Rangers would be unwise to put too much of the burden on the 36-year-old's shoulders, so Georgiev appearances might become more frequent.

Craig Anderson, Senators - This should be a good season for Anderson, who has a Jekyll-and-Hyde track record from season to season, but his last two starts have not been good with 10 goals allowed. He'll face the pesky Knights and Coyotes on the road before playing Jack Eichel and the Sabres in a home-and-home series. Anderson could play all four games because the backups are terrible, but it's a lot to ask of the 37-year old.