Top NHL Goalies Powering Teams Amid Injuries: Gibson, Gustavsson, Bobrovsky, Demko Shine

There are a number of goalies whose efforts propped up their teams in facing challenging circumstances, while a host of others have landed on the injured list recently.  

Find out who is expected to be between the pipes with RotoWire's NHL Starting Goalies page!

Rising NHL Goalies Deliver Breakout Performances

John Gibson, Detroit Red Wings

Gibson was signed as a free agent in the offseason to bring stability to the Wings' goalie depth chart. He was slow to rise to the challenge and was actually outplayed by his veteran partner, Cam Talbot, in the first month of the season. However, Gibson has taken over the larger share of starts in recent weeks with very consistent play. Last week, he won all three of his starts to extend a personal win streak to six games, during which he's allowed a total of only 12 goals out of 185 shots (93.5 Sv%). That exceptional level of goalkeeping has been a key factor in the Wings' rise in the Atlantic Division as we near the midpoint of this season.

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild

Gustavsson entered the season as the unquestioned number one netminder for the Wild, but his teammate, Jesper Wallstedt, had other ideas. The backup has made a successful bid for a larger share of the starts here, on the strength of his outstanding early-season play. Still, Gustavsson has posted strong numbers again, including a current four-game win streak, where he's been nicked for a total of only five goals in the face of 98 shots (.949 save percentage).

Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

As a result of a lengthy injury list, the Panthers have leaned heavily on their veteran top goalie this season. It has been an uneven stretch for Bobrovsky, with a mixture of good and bad results almost from game to game. However, he has most recently compiled a season-best four straight wins. That's been good enough to help the Panthers get very close to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings. If the 38-year-old hadn't held up his end of the bargain to date, it's quite conceivable that the defending champs would have dug themselves an insurmountable deficit already.

Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks

Demko made his return from a 12-game stint on the injured list last week and performed brilliantly in all three games that he started, winning two of them and allowing only four goals against, while making 60 saves (.938 save percentage). Another positive development was the fact that the team was able to keep the shots on goal in such a low and manageable range. This total team effort is the best that the team has looked in the first half season. It remains to be seen if Demko can stay healthy and his mates keep him well protected.

Alex Lyon, Buffalo Sabres

In a tough start to their season, the Sabres have had very few bright spots. One player who has been a pleasant surprise is Lyon, who reeled off three straight wins last week, to even his record at 6-6-3. He is building his case for the top role amid the trio of Sabres goalies. He has outplayed presumptive starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in recent weeks, and Colten Ellis is currently sidelined with a concussion, so the path is clear for Lyon to get most of the starts in the near future if he can continue to deliver this level of play.    

Spencer Knight, Chicago Blackhawks

Knight's performance has volleyed between both sides of this column a few times already, and last week he was back in the good books, with three solid starts, that netted only one win, but kept the Hawks close in two defeats. That inconsistency is more the fault of a young and inexperienced roster playing in front of him. His .914 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average in 23 starts this season have shown team management that their faith in signing him to a three-year extension, at a $5.833 million AAV, is a sound investment and a key cog in the rebuild of the Hawks roster.

Struggling Netminders Facing Challenges in Recent Games

Eric Comrie, Winnipeg Jets

Comrie has tried hard to fill the void left by Conor Helebuyck's injury absence, but last week he came up short as he was tagged for three straight losses, which saw him give up a total of 13 goals, while facing only 58 shots on goal (.776 save percentage). That was at the tail end of a career-high seven straight starts , and it seems clear that this heavy workload caught up to him.

Now that Hellebuyck is healthy again, Comrie will see a greatly reduced workload as he missed a chance to carve out a larger role behind the league's reigning MVP.

Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

Montembeault found himself in a three-man logjam in the Canadiens' goal when Jacob Fowler was called up from Laval (AHL) last week. The impetus for that move traces back to Montembeault's season-long struggles in goal (3.65 GAA,.857 save percentage). As sophomore Jakub Dobes was not faring much better, the Habs were forced to take action. Most recently, Montembeault has been sent to Laval (AHL) on what is being called a conditioning stint. The reality is that he needs to rediscover something approaching the form that saw him appear in 62 games last season.    

Injury Updates Shake Up Goalie Depth Across NHL Teams

Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings

Kuemper has performed better than expected since joining the Kings last year and taking on the top role in LA's net. He's dealing with an upper-body injury that caused him to land on the IR, which means he'll miss a minimum of three games. Anton Forsberg will see work in the interim, backed by Pheonix Copley, who was recalled from Ontario (AHL).

Colten Ellis, , Buffalo Sabres

Ellis was enjoying an impressive run with the Sabres until he was felled by a concussion last week. He had turned the Sabres' netminding situation into a three-headed race, and this development may ultimately see him return to the AHL, because both veterans, Luukkonen and  Lyon, are healthy and have played reasonably well lately.

In the 'good injury news' department, two of the very best in the game appear to be back in good health.

Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets

He came off the IR last week and started two games, a win and an OT loss, while allowing a total of four goals out of the 56 shots he faced (.929 Sv%). So, it looks like the big dog is back in top form for the Jets.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, [LOGO} Tampa Bay Lightning

Vasilevskiy was activated from the IR on December 16 and is expected to resume his large role in goal for the Lightning later this week.

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