Giving your goalie the hook: the right call or the wrong call?

“Why didn’t he pull him?!?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked this question. I hear it plenty during the regular season. But during the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s nonstop. The hockey world can gin up a goalie controversy before an NHL coach even has a chance to speak.

We live in a world of instant gratification where firings are demanded. And essentially that’s what happens when a goalie is pulled from a game. They’ve been fired for that night.

It’s not a good feeling. Sitting on the bench after allowing a whack of goals has a hollowness to it that’s hard to explain. You still want your team to win. But you also know the game is most likely out of reach – and you played a significant part in your team’s shortcomings.

Good goals. Bad goals. Does it really matter when five or six get past a goalie and out comes the hook? It really doesn’t. Because no matter how the puck went in, the overwhelming metric of success is the quantity of goals given up, not quality.

That’s not necessarily fair. It’s just the way it is.

I was pulled plenty of times during my career in both the regular and postseason. Usually it was warranted. Were there occasions where I didn’t agree with the timing or intention? Sure. But ultimately it’s the coach’s job to make the call. As a player, my only choice was to get over it. Fast.

You hear it all the time when a goalie gets hooked that the coach was trying to change the momentum of the game. I think that’s a lark. It’s like when coaches used to send their designated tough guy over the boards for a staged fight.

I don’t have statistics to support my cause. But I would be shocked if tangible evidence exists showing that pulling a goalie or staging a fight affects the score of a game in any way. To me, I think it’s really about shaking things up. Coaches feel the need to do something – anything – when their team is getting clobbered. And changing the goaltender is a built-in release valve.

But sometimes a goalie’s performance just isn’t good enough. And that’s when coaches really have to make a decision. Because every goalie – and relationship – is different.

When Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed seven goals to Colorado in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the topic de jour was why Jon Cooper didn’t pull him. People were incredulous that he left ‘The Big Cat’ in the net to fend for himself.

It wasn’t just because Tampa Bay was getting run out of the building. It was also because Vasilevskiy wasn’t his best. He was beaten clean on several goals and struggled to find any rhythm.

But after the game, Cooper was adamant that he had no intention of removing Vasilevskiy. “I don’t think he would have come out,” he said. “That’s what kind of competitor he is.”

This makes me believe that Cooper and Vasilevskiy have, at minimum, discussed their thoughts on goalie pulls. And I’d be willing to bet goaltending coach Frantz Jean was also involved in the conversation. That’s fairly common in the coaches’ room.

I don’t know this for certain. But it’s my best guess, because Cooper has been consistent in letting Vasilevskiy battle through every start. And he obviously trusts his goaltender’s ability to manage adversity. Vasilevskiy bounced back with an outstanding showing in Game 3, allowing two goals on 39 shots.

After winning two straight Stanley Cup championships, Vasilevskiy has plenty of latitude. He’s proven time and again that he’s one of the best money goaltenders the NHL has ever seen.

That’s a big contrast to what Jared Bednar has at his disposal in Colorado. His goaltending tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz are unproven in the postseason. They may both have experience, but neither has won a Stanley Cup. And their performances, especially Kuemper’s, have been spotty.

After two solid outings to begin the Stanley Cup Final, Kuemper struggled in Game 3. He had a difficult time staying square to the shooter. And he dropped to his knees early on multiple occasions.

When Lightning forward Pat Maroon scored at the 11:15 mark of the second period to make it 5-2 in favor of Tampa Bay, Bednar decided he’d seen enough. Kuemper was out. Francouz was in. The Lightning scored again less than four minutes later.

It was clear that Kuemper was having a tough night. And with Francouz sporting a 6-0 record this postseason, I’d imagine it was an easy decision for Bednar to make the switch. I would have done the same.

I think it shows how different things are for the Avalanche than they are for the Lightning. Despite Vasilevskiy’s struggles, there was no chance Tampa Bay backup Brian Elliott was going to start Game 3. But I’m not convinced that Darcy Kuemper starts Game 4 in goal for Colorado.

Despite a 2-1 lead in the series against the Lightning, and an overall record of 14-3 in this year’s Stanley Cup playoff, Colorado hasn’t found its horse in goal. I think Kuemper is probably still the best bet to start Game 4, but it’s not a given. Whether from lack of work, or the injuries he’s faced this postseason, I don’t think we’ve seen Kuemper at his best.

Ultimately, for goaltenders not named Andrei Vasilevskiy, whether they are pulled from a game or not comes down to the eye test. Coaches don’t have the luxury of a thousand replays after a goal is scored. So they’re forced to make snap judgements and live with it.

For Cooper, it’s a luxury to know that Vasilevskiy wants to be in the cage regardless of the score. The Lightning coach doesn’t need to waste any mental energy on his goalkeeping.

It’s not the same for Bednar. He has to decide which goaltender starts for Game 4. And who finishes it.

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Giving your goalie the hook: the right call or the wrong call?

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