The NHL began tracking saves in 1955. In the six-plus decades since then, there have been two instances of a goaltender recording 50-plus saves in consecutive playoff games.
Only one of those goaltenders, Juuse Saros, won both. (The other was Curtis Joseph for the 1992-93 St. Louis Blues.)
Saros’ Predators teammates are running low on superlatives to describe him, though they are willing to try to come up with new ones.
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“He’s a stud,” center Ryan Johansen said.
“He’s a beast back there,” forward Luke Kunin said.
Either will suffice. None of this — the back-to-back double overtime wins against the Carolina Hurricanes in front of 12,135 delirious fans at Bridgestone Arena or the Predators’ improbable playoff berth — is possible without Saros, who made a franchise-record 58 saves Sunday and made this once-lopsided series a lot more interesting.
At the outset of the series, goaltending was the one advantage the Predators had over the Hurricanes. Saros was the key to an upset.
Questions remained, though, about whether Saros, who was subpar in four games against the average Arizona Coyotes inside the Edmonton bubble last year, could steal a series against a high-powered opponent.
The Hurricanes had a distinct territorial advantage in Game 4, especially in the early going. They possessed the puck for 3:54 in the first period, compared to 32 seconds for the Predators. By the end of regulation, it was 8:03-3:38 in favor of the Hurricanes.
Saros’ counterpart, outstanding rookie Alex Nedeljkovic, made more highlight-reel saves Sunday, but Saros was calm under pressure, stopping 18 of 20 slot shots, including seven of eight from the inner slot.
“He always had the physical ability,” Predators coach John Hynes said. “His work habits, just his office-ice training, how he practices, how he prepares himself, they are top notch, so you (knew) physically that he (would be) able to step into that role. The biggest adjustment is being able to mentally focus for as long as he has, as many games as he’s played, but then also what are you doing in between games, a tough loss, a big win. Those are all the things that really come down to being a goaltender that can play very consistently at the level he’s played (at). I think that’s a credit to him. It’s a credit to (goaltending coach) Benny Vanderklok. I think it’s a credit to (Pekka Rinne). Those guys have a real tight relationship.
“(Saros) puts in the work, but the maturation of the player mentally and I think emotionally are the big differences now.”
| Game | Slot Shot Saves | Inner Slot Shot Saves |
|---|---|---|
1 (L) | 17/21 | 9/11 |
2 (L) | 9/11 | 3/4 |
3 (OTW) | 26/27 | 12/13 |
4 (OTW) | 18/20 | 7/8 |
As recently as March, when Saros had a 3.10 goals-against average and .895 save percentage through his first 13 appearances this season, there was skepticism that he had what it took to be a franchise goaltender. He was too small, too inconsistent.
Those doubts gradually disappeared as Saros, one of three sub-6-foot goaltenders in the league, turned in a virtuoso performance over the final two months of the regular season and attracted some Vezina Trophy buzz.
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Saros might never develop into the workhorse that Rinne was for a decade, but the Predators’ future at the position appears very bright. First-round pick Iaroslav Askarov, who posted a 1.21 GAA and .951 save percentage in nine KHL games this season, waits in the wings. Askarov, 18, and Saros, 26, have the makings of a formidable tandem, if all goes according to plan.
Saros, a restricted free agent whose three-year, $4.5 million contract expires in July, picked the right time to have a career season. A shorter-term deal similar to the one Philipp Grubauer received from the Colorado Avalanche in 2018 — three years, $10 million — would make sense. (Saros is one year away from UFA status.)
That is a discussion for another time, though. The Predators winning four of five against the Hurricanes seemed impossible. With Saros in goal, two of three is conceivable.
“He’s a big part of our team success and our success right now in winning these last two games,” Johansen said. “He’s going to keep doing his thing, and we’re going to keep counting on him.”
— Data via Sportlogiq.
(Photo: John Russell / NHLI via Getty Images)