November 13th 2024.
There are moments in a goaltender's career when their performance is accurately reflected by the numbers. Even in a small sample size, the data cannot be disputed. This was the case for Alexandar Georgiev at the start of the season. Although it was only a small number of games, he did not play well. The team in front of him was lacking key players and their defensive efforts were subpar. But the numbers were the numbers, and they showed that Georgiev was struggling.
However, things have changed. As we enter early November, Georgiev looks like a completely different goaltender from last month. And the numbers back that up as well. While the Avalanche's lineup is slowly returning to full strength, Georgiev's improved performance may be just as crucial as the team's push to become contenders for the Stanley Cup.
"It means a lot," said Avs star Mikko Rantanen after Monday night's game, in which Georgiev made 29 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators. "He's been really solid, really sound in the net and making big saves. He was making some in the first. It could have been 3-0, easily. It was only 1-0 because of him. It was great."
During the early part of the season, it felt like the Avs needed to be nearly perfect in front of Georgiev because he was struggling. In fact, he had the worst stats among all NHL starting goalies in October, whether it be traditional, advanced, or any other metric. But in the past three games, Georgiev has stopped 83 out of 90 shots, resulting in a .922 save percentage. These were clearly his best games of the season so far, especially considering the competition and expected goals against. The Avs even managed to beat two playoff teams from last year and only lost to the Winnipeg Jets, who are off to a record-breaking 14-1 start.
Of course, we must keep in mind that this is only a three-game sample size. But it's worth noting that the roles have reversed a bit. In the past three games, the team has not played particularly well in front of Georgiev, especially in the first period. But he has stepped up and carried the team, rather than the other way around.
"I didn't have any doubt that he could get there. I just wanted him to get there as soon as possible," said Avs coach Jared Bednar. "When you're stringing together solid games and giving our team a chance to win, that's what we want to see. The longer you do that, the more trust you gain."
According to Money Puck, the Avs have allowed 9.85 expected goals in the past three games, and Georgiev has only let in seven. Again, the numbers speak for themselves. But even more importantly, Georgiev looks like he's back to being the best version of himself. He's confidently catching shots with his glove, fighting through traffic to make saves, and everything just seems... normal again. This was not the case a couple of weeks ago, as he struggled both in games and during practices. But now, after only playing once in an eight-game stretch, it seems like the time to reset has helped him.
"He cares. I know he cares, and I know he works hard," said Bednar. "But the mental side of it...it just takes some players longer to reset after things don't go their way than others. For Georgiev, I think for a while there, the harder he tried, the worse it got."
During Monday's game, Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche even confirmed to the officiating crew that he made a save against the Nashville Predators during the overtime period. This was a huge win for the Avs, as they continue to make improvements and get healthier. Justus Annunen, who also struggled in the beginning of the season, has bounced back as well, allowing the Avs to place Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers. The Winnipeg Jets eventually re-claimed him, and now the days of having three goalies on the team are gone. This was necessary as the forward group starts to get healthier.
Maybe Kahkonen's arrival played a role in spurring the turnaround for Georgiev. But it's also possible that the break from playing games had an impact as well. The bottom line is that the Avs needed Georgiev to play better than he did at the start of the season, and he has delivered. Now, with a record of 8-8 and the team expected to add more high-end players soon, the future looks a lot brighter than it did in October.
"It means a lot," Georgiev said of playing three straight games. "It had been a bit too many games without me playing, but I was trying to make the most of it in practice and be ready for the next one. I know I'm a good goalie, so I'm trying to play the best I can and give us a chance to win. The goals against are going down, so hopefully it keeps trending that way. I'm just trying to stay positive."
In other news, Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood both participated in the Avs' optional practice on Tuesday, wearing normal jerseys instead of the "no contact" red ones they had been wearing while recovering from injuries. Coach Bednar said he did not know if they will be ready to play in Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Kings.
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