Goaltending magic has run out for the Carolina Hurricanes
Coach Rod Brind’Amour seems to be contemplating a change, as a clear sign the goaltending magic for the Carolina Hurricanes has run out.
Prior to his lower body injury in Game 2 against the New York Islanders on April 28, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek was 5-1 with a 9.29 save percentage, two shutouts and a 1.83 goals against-average over his previous six games. He returned to action for the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins, but things have not gone nearly as well.
The Bruins have scored 10 goals on 52 shots in the first two games of the series against the Hurricanes, on their way to 2-0 series lead. As expected Mrazek’s save percentage is just .808, and his goals against-average is a bloated 5.04.
Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has not yet confirmed anything for Game 3 back at home. Mrazek seemed to be working as the starter during Monday’s practice, according to NHL.com, but a move toward a change between the pipes is clearly looming.
Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged there could be a change in Carolina’s net for Game 3 but said nothing has been finalized between Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. He didn’t give a hint one way or the other.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) May 13, 2019
Curtis McElhinney filled in capably for Mrazek against the Islanders, stopping 71 of 75 shots over two-plus games to finish that series (54 saves over two starts). But the Game 3 start was the first playoff start of his career, and he was stepping in against a team in the Islanders that struggled to cash in on good scoring chances.
If McElhinney starts Game 3 (or beyond) against Boston, his resume as a generally mediocre, journeyman goaltender precedes him. And while Mrazek was outstanding over a half-dozen games before his injury, his overall playoff numbers this year aren’t great (2.73 GAA, .894 save percentage) and his own career resume says that six-game stretch is an outlier.
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Carolina has done more than just ride hot goaltending to the Eastern Conference Finals. But the Bruins are pretty clearly the better team, and the gap in goaltending from Tuukka Rask to Mrazek has taken its rightful place over the first two games of the series. More specifically, the goaltender magic the Hurricanes enjoyed through most of two rounds has all but disappeared now.