This article is part of our Crashing the Crease series.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so it's time to show some patriotism and give thanks for the goaltenders that hail from the United States (and could potentially represent the country in the next World Cup or Olympics). These guys may not play for your favorite team, but anyone curious about how their fellow countrymen are doing this season should continue on…
There are 15 American netminders to accrue NHL statistics this season: Craig Anderson, Ben Bishop, Jack Campbell, Mike Condon, Scott Darling, John Gibson, Connor Hellebuyck, Jimmy Howard, Keith Kinkaid, Zane McIntyre, Ryan Miller, Al Montoya, Jonathan Quick, Cory Schneider and Jeff Zatkoff.
Nine are either playing relatively inconsequential roles or suffered a long-term injury (Quick). Campbell and McIntyre haven't done much of consequence for the Kings and Bruins, respectively. Condon has taken over the Senators backup job and played well to the tune of a 1.76 GAA, while Kinkaid has a 2.24 GAA as the backup in new Jersey. Darling is 4-0-0 as the No. 2 in Chicago, albeit with a 2.94 GAA. Montoya got off to a quick start with Carey Price battling the flu early, but now sits at 3-3-1 with a 3.13 GAA.
Miller will always be remembered for his great showing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but has fallen off in his old age, and is off to a 2-7-0 start in Vancouver. Zatkoff got an opportunity when Quick went
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so it's time to show some patriotism and give thanks for the goaltenders that hail from the United States (and could potentially represent the country in the next World Cup or Olympics). These guys may not play for your favorite team, but anyone curious about how their fellow countrymen are doing this season should continue on…
There are 15 American netminders to accrue NHL statistics this season: Craig Anderson, Ben Bishop, Jack Campbell, Mike Condon, Scott Darling, John Gibson, Connor Hellebuyck, Jimmy Howard, Keith Kinkaid, Zane McIntyre, Ryan Miller, Al Montoya, Jonathan Quick, Cory Schneider and Jeff Zatkoff.
Nine are either playing relatively inconsequential roles or suffered a long-term injury (Quick). Campbell and McIntyre haven't done much of consequence for the Kings and Bruins, respectively. Condon has taken over the Senators backup job and played well to the tune of a 1.76 GAA, while Kinkaid has a 2.24 GAA as the backup in new Jersey. Darling is 4-0-0 as the No. 2 in Chicago, albeit with a 2.94 GAA. Montoya got off to a quick start with Carey Price battling the flu early, but now sits at 3-3-1 with a 3.13 GAA.
Miller will always be remembered for his great showing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but has fallen off in his old age, and is off to a 2-7-0 start in Vancouver. Zatkoff got an opportunity when Quick went down due to injury early, but failed to do much and now backs up Peter Budaj.
Anderson has done a fantastic job as the starter in Ottawa at 35 years of age, going 8-2-1 with a 2.26 GAA. He's likely too old to represent the United States in any international tournaments of consequence down the line but should be able to continue his solid season for the Senators.
Bishop is in danger of losing his starting job to Andrei Vasilevskiy, but does have a winning 7-6-0 record in Tampa Bay. The pending free agent could be on the move at the trade deadline, and will almost certainly be representing a new team come next season.
Gibson's first season as the unquestioned starter in Anaheim has been a mixed bag -- he's just 6-6-3 with a 2.59 GAA. You should get used to hearing the 23-year-old's name, though, as he's likely to represent America in future major international competitions.
Hellebuyck got off to a slow start for the Jets, but has now won four of his past six appearances. He's also just 23, and could give Gibson a run for his money in the future.
Howard has made a strong push to take over the starting job in Detroit from Petr Mrazek, and still has a marvelous 1.85 GAA and .940 save percentage despite a 4-5-0 record in 10 appearances.
Schneider had arguably the highest expectations of any American netminder heading into the season, and has once again been spectacular for a middling Devils team. The 30-year-old veteran is working on his seventh consecutive season with a sub-2.30 GAA and save percentage above .920. If the Devils could just score in front of him, he'd be much better than 7-5-2.
While the Americans above have been a mixed bag, so have goaltenders from all over the rest of the world. That much is clear when looking at this week's top performers, three risers and three fallers:
Top Performers
Jake Allen, STL - Allen has won four straight games while allowing just six goals in that span. Three of those wins came at home, where the first-time full-time starter is 6-0-2 with a 1.24 GAA and .953 save percentage this season. The 26-year-old's rocky road start should prove to be temporary given the tremendous defensive team in front of him.
Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ - Bobrovsky just had a fantastic week, stopping 65 of 70 shots in wins over the Capitals, Rangers and Capitals a second time. While his opponents' low scoring numbers were impressive, Columbus' ability to hold these offensive powerhouses to just 23.3 shots per game was an even better sign. The Russian's hot start is beginning to look more and more sustainable with each passing game.
Braden Holtby, WAS - Sunday's home loss to the Blue Jackets put a bit of a damper on Holtby's week, but he was still mostly excellent with a 2-1-0 record and 70 saves on 74 shots in home meetings with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Columbus. The 2015-16 Vezina Trophy winner seems unlikely to repeat last year's 48-win season, but his 1.99 GAA and .927 save percentage both represent improvements from that campaign.
Three Rising
Chad Johnson, CGY - Johnson has surpassed the struggling Brian Elliott as the starter in Calgary, making four straight starts prior to sitting Monday. The defensively-challenged Flames aren't supposed to produce strong fantasy goaltending options, but don't tell that to Johnson, who won three of those four starts while allowing just six total goals. While the jury is still out on whether he can succeed as the starter long-term, nobody has improved their stock more over the past week.
Cam Ward, CAR - Ward was supposed to split time with Eddie Lack this season, but has started seven consecutive games while winning five straight for the suddenly-surging Hurricanes. You can be skeptical of the sustainability of these results all you want, but Lack's Monday concussion has paved the way for Ward to continue serving as the full-time starter in Carolina. While he likely won't hold opponents to five total goals in his next five starts like he did in these past five, it won't be for lack of opportunities.
Mike Smith, ARI - Smith might have a hard time maintaining long-term value for a subpar Coyotes team, but he has gotten off to a good start since returning from a lower-body injury. The veteran went 1-0-1 with 65 saves on 69 shots against the Flames and Sharks this past week, and now sports a 2.58 GAA and .922 save percentage. If you're desperate for goaltending help, taking a flier on Smith and hoping the Coyotes right the ship in front of him isn't the worst idea.
Three Falling
Jacob Markstrom, VAN - Markstrom actually won a game this past week, but his other two starts were horrendous enough to land him in this section nonetheless. His victory over the lowly Coyotes was sandwiched by disastrous performances against contenders in which he allowed seven goals to the Rangers and four to the Blackhawks. Markstrom should continue to get plenty of starts with the aging Ryan Miller representing the only alternative, but using him against any decent team could yield disastrous results.
Corey Crawford, CHI - Crawford hasn't enjoyed Chicago's trip through Canada, winning just one of three starts while allowing 11 goals on 79 shots to the Jets, Flames and Oilers. This rough road trip has served as a stark reminder that the 8-1-2 stretch with a 1.75 GAA that preceded it isn't sustainable for Crawford. His true value lies somewhere in between, as the Blackhawks are usually capable of scoring enough to cover some of his lackluster play.
Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT - Fleury is winless in November, while teammate Matt Murray has five victories in that same span. The veteran's 10 goals allowed in three winless appearances over the past week have further reduced his chances of keeping up with his younger counterpart, and it seems like only a matter of time until Fleury is moved to a backup role given his recent struggles and the strong alternative.
