October 15th 2024.
Cory Schneider has been in Alexandar Georgiev's position before, and he understands the pressure and uncertainty that comes with starting off the season on a rough note. As a veteran goalie with over 400 games under his belt, Schneider knows that a slow start can have a big impact on a player's confidence and overall performance.
In the first few games of the 2024-25 season, Georgiev struggled, getting pulled in two consecutive games and then losing a third. The team's record dropped to 0-3, and both Georgiev and the team were disappointed with the results. Schneider, who played for 13 years in the NHL and ended his career with the Islanders in 2021-22, knows that the beginning of the season can be tough for goalies. With no previous games to rely on, a bad start can make a goalie's stats look terrible and cause doubts to creep in.
"When you're in that position, you start to question yourself. Can I still do this? Why are the pucks constantly getting past me? It's hard to make that big save and you start to doubt your instincts," Schneider said. "Georgiev seems a little unsettled and unsure of himself, not fully trusting his game and his abilities."
Schneider can relate to this struggle, having experienced a similar situation in the 2018-19 season with the New Jersey Devils. After missing the first few weeks due to an injury, he had a rough start with a .852 save percentage in nine appearances. He was sent to the AHL to rebuild his confidence and game, and when he returned to the Devils, he finished the season with a .921 save percentage in his final 17 games.
"As a goalie, you start fresh every season. You can't rely on your past performances," Schneider explained. "Georgiev will be fine, but when you wake up and see a .680 save percentage, it can be overwhelming. You start overthinking and trying to make up for it all in one game, but you have to take it one period at a time."
While sending Georgiev to the AHL may not be an option for the Colorado Avalanche, they did add Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers from Winnipeg. He could give Georgiev a chance to reset and work on his game before returning to the team. In the meantime, Georgiev has shown improvement in his third start, but there were still a few goals that he would like to have back.
The Avs' coach, Jared Bednar, acknowledges that this was their worst defensive game so far, and while he believes Georgiev made some good saves, he still needs to improve. "I look at it and that was his best performance so far. He looked more like himself tonight, which is a step in the right direction," Bednar said.
One of the goals that stood out to Bednar was when Georgiev attempted a poke check on Kyle Palmieri during a breakaway, but the puck still ended up in the net. It was an uncharacteristic move for Georgiev, and it showed a lack of trust in his instincts. Bednar also noticed another goal where Georgiev seemed hesitant to stay in his traditional stance, which led to another goal.
While Georgiev has improved from his first two games, he still has a lot of work to do. Goalies don't always bounce back immediately from a rough start, and it takes time to regain confidence and find a rhythm. "He's not a young guy, and he has a solid track record. The team has won with him before," Schneider said. "The Avs just need him to be good enough to get a win, and that will take some of the heat off. One good game and a win will calm everything down. He just needs to trust that he's done it before and can do it again."
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