Every time the NHL playoffs arrive, the same question comes up: How important is goaltending in winning the Stanley Cup? Some people say you need one star goalie. Others believe a strong goalie duo, or tandem, is the key.
So, what really works? Let’s take a look at recent Stanley Cup winners and how their goaltenders performed — and what teams like the Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Hurricanes need to consider heading into the 2025 playoffs.
One Goalie Usually Carries the Load
Most of the time, teams that win the Stanley Cup rely on a single goaltender through the playoffs. Players like Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning), Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers), and Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues) all played over 23 games in their championship runs. These goalies didn’t just show up — they delivered under pressure.
Even if their regular season was shared between two netminders, when it came to crunch time, the coach had a clear number one goalie in mind. The backup was there for support or injury cover, but the main guy took charge.
Backup Goalies Help – But Only If Needed
There have been moments where backups stepped up, but usually out of necessity. In 2022, Pavel Francouz helped the Colorado Avalanche win while Darcy Kuemper recovered from injury. Francouz posted decent numbers, but the Avalanche’s offense helped cover for any issues in goal by scoring big.
In 2018, Washington started the playoffs with Philipp Grubauer, but quickly switched to Braden Holtby, who led the team all the way with a .922 save percentage. Again, it shows that even if a backup starts, the team usually ends up riding their most trusted goalie.
Vegas’ 2023 Win Was Different
The 2023 Vegas Golden Knights broke the trend a bit. They used five different goalies during the season. In the playoffs, Laurent Brossoit began as the starter but got injured. That’s when Adin Hill took over and surprised everyone with a .932 save percentage in 16 games.
He wasn’t their regular starter during the season — that was Logan Thompson. Hill had only played 27 games in the regular season, but he got hot at the right time, and that made all the difference.
Can Tandems Work in the Playoffs?
There are rare cases where goalie tandems worked well — like with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Marc-Andre Fleury started strong, then Matt Murray took over and helped them win the Cup with a .937 save percentage. But again, they didn’t split games in the playoffs — they made a clear switch.
So while rotating goalies works in the regular season to keep players fresh, playoff hockey is different. A team needs a leader in net — someone they can trust game after game.
What Does This Mean for Leafs, Oilers, and Hurricanes?
These three teams have used goalie tandems all season:
Carolina Hurricanes: Since January 20, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov have each played 14 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Joseph Woll has played 39 games, and Anthony Stolarz has 30, with Stolarz having better stats.
Edmonton Oilers: Stuart Skinner has 24 games since Jan 1, while Calvin Pickard has 18 — a close split.
Now that the playoffs are near, these teams will have to pick their guy. Because when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, the last 10 years show that a reliable No. 1 goalie matters more than a balanced rotation.
In NHL playoff hockey, teams usually don’t split the goalie job. While tandems help manage the season’s workload, most championship teams ride one hot hand in net all the way to the finish. From Vasilevskiy to Bobrovsky to Hill, the best playoff runs come when a goalie gets in rhythm and stays there.
Teams like the Leafs, Oilers, and Hurricanes must decide soon who that guy is — because when it’s time to raise the Cup, consistency in net makes all the difference.
