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

The season is taking shape, and some goalies are living up to expectations while others are not. Below are goaltenders who are heating up the ice, and others who are cold, cold, cold.

WHO'S HOT

Collin Delia, Blackhawks

Yeah, we know the sample size is small, but in just three starts Delia has the Blackhawks re-thinking their future in net. It's not just the wins – it's his 1.66 GAA and .957 save percentage, and doing it against Colorado on the road twice and at home against Minnesota. Delia has rebounded from a tough rookie campaign and made a huge leap; he's been so good it would be shocking if he didn't start the Winter Classic, in which the Blackhawks are 0-3 all-time. The next stretch will be tough and telling; after facing their 2013 Stanley Cup Finals foe on Jan. 1, they will face Sidney Crosby's Penguins, and if Delia performs well in both games it will be a much more serious discussion about how this guy can help make the Stanley Cup window a little wider and longer for the Toews and Kane era.

MacKenzie Blackwood, Devils

The Blackwood era has arrived a little sooner than expected. The 2015 second-round pick has made five appearances for the Devils this season, but in his three starts is 2-1 with two goals allowed, including a 37-save shutout against Carolina. Keith Kinkaid has lost his grip on the starting job after getting pulled twice in three games, and who knows when Cory Schneider will return? The Devils likely will roll with Blackwood as long as he plays well, but don't be surprised if Kinkaid returns at some point. Blackwood is worth picking up from the waiver wire for his long-term potential.

Robin Lehner, Islanders

Fun stat: Since making a career-high 59 appearances in the 2016-17 season, Lehner has the 11th-best even-strength save percentage in the league (min. 100 appearances), ahead of Rask (13th), Fleury (18th) and Price (19th). Lehner's career .916 save percentage suggests he's a capable, perhaps even an above-average, starter in the NHL, but after more than 200 games and almost a decade into his career he still has yet to receive the full confidence of any team. Even his most ardent supporters should concede that his current run – 3-1-1 in December with a .944 save percentage and 1.30 GAA – seems unsustainable, but he's definitely worth the handcuff for Thomas Greiss owners.

Jacob Markstrom, Canucks

Consecutive wins on the road against the Alberta teams means a lot to the young Canucks, who surprisingly find themselves in playoff contention. Markstrom has been brilliant with eight wins in December, allowing more than two goals just once the entire month. It didn't happen right away, but a new goalie coach seems to be really helping, and Markstrom's reminding everyone why he was drafted as a potential starter with the 31st pick in 2008 and becoming a key piece in the second Roberto Luongo trade. The Canucks are a slightly-better-than-you-think team that's finally getting players returning from injury, and Travis Green's goaltending rotation is usually based on whoever has the hotter hand. Markstrom's streaky but great to have when he's on his game.

Matt Murray, Penguins

Murray has won five consecutive games since returning from injury, posting a save percentage of .927 or better in each of those games, including a hard-fought 2-1 win against the rival Caps. It bears mentioning that Murray's other wins have come against the Red Wings, Hurricanes, Blues and Kings, who rank 24th, 26th, 29th and last in the league standings. Still, he's had to make the saves for them to count, but a tough stretch is coming with the Jets and Panthers visiting before going on a four-game road trip to California and Arizona. It's encouraging to see Murray healthy, but with one more year on his contract it's a crucial evaluation period to see if he really is the franchise goalie.

WHO'S NOT

Pekka Rinne, Predators

With six consecutive losses the Predators are now the ones being hunted, losing their grip on the Central Division lead and now just one point ahead of the Avalanche and three points ahead of the Stars. Injuries have hurt, but they've been uncharacteristically bad, losing to basement teams and getting beat by the Stars and Rangers on home ice, a place in which they're usually indomitable. By all metrics, however, the Preds are still a very good team but they're going through a tough stretch, especially on offense. Throughout his career Rinne's worst month has always been December, sporting a career .909 save percentage (it's .906 this season) before bouncing back in January and February.

Semyon Varlamov, Avalanche

The Avs can score, but when the offense dries up their defense isn't good enough to win close games, and Varlamov can't bail them out all the time. After a hot start with a .950 save percentage in October, Varlamov's numbers have dipped with each subsequent month, now sporting a sub-.900 save percentage in December. The Avs have a manageable schedule with a three-game home stand before a three-day break, but he'll need to regain his form quickly or otherwise cede playing time to Philip Grubauer.

The Oilers

Two bad losses in Edmonton destroyed whatever mystique Mikko Koskinen had playing in front the home crowd, and when Cam Talbot was given the chance to regain his job he allowed seven goals. Ken Hitchcock's magic is losing a bit of its luster, but the team Peter Chiarelli has iced just has too many holes. It won't matter who the Oilers stick in net, as long as their offense lacks depth and their defense lacks quality, they simply won't win many games. Neither Koskinen nor Talbot are safe plays, especially with the Jets visiting and a four-game road trip on the horizon, all against division opponents.