Is This A Goaltending Slump, Or A Goaltending Problem?

Avs keep giving up too many goals, but defense, at least statistically, hasn't been the problem

Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire

I tried to put the word “problem” in the headline in italics, for emphasis, but the software here wouldn’t allow it. Not in headlines anyway. So, I’ll say it again here in the text, where italics are allowed. Is this a goaltending slump for the Avalanche right now, or do the Avs have a goaltending problem?

This is currently the save percentage for both Alexandar Georgiev and Ivan Prosvetov, after today’s 8-4 loss to the Florida Panthers: .895.

That dog just ain’t gonna hunt.

While the Avs are scoring plenty of goals these days, the goaltenders are allowing a lot of goals. Prosvetov was given the start today, and the game was 3-0 Florida within the first nine minutes.

I don’t think, at least not today, that bad defense in front of the goalies was the problem. The Avs only gave up 29 shots on net, and that includes two empty-netters Florida got in the final four minutes. The real numbers were: 27 shots, 21 saves.

Avs have given up at least four goals in the last three games, yet the record in them is 2-1-0.

But the Avs have given up 127 goals so far in 40 games. Believe it or not, that’s more goals allowed than just one other team in the Central Division, Chicago (148).

Two other teams in the Western Conference have also given up 127, and the team with the worst (160) is San Jose.

So, only two other NHL teams have given up more goals than the Colorado Avalanche.

That dog ain’t gonna hunt.

It’s up to Georgie and Prosvetov to prove goaltending isn’t the problem with this team right now. Again, I don’t think it’s the defense.

Colorado is averaging 28.8 shots against per game. Only five NHL teams have allowed more per game. Here, look it up.