Something About Grubauer

DENVER ­- During the noon hour this past Sunday, seven hours before the Game 7 puck drop, Philipp Grubauer looked relaxed and fresh sitting at his locker stall. He was still wearing his goalie leg pads and skates. He looked at home in the visiting team locker room, hanging out, chill, no stern game face, enjoying the pause. Let's agree this is not the comportment of all goaltenders in the current NHL nor across Stanley Cup runs of lore.

By Game 7 end and Kraken jubilation on ice and humming/primal yelling/woo-hooing throughout the Pacific Northwest, Grubauer had faced another nine shots from former teammate and superstar-by-all-accounts Nathan MacKinnon. He stopped all but one, which needed a deflection off fellow superstar Mikko Rantanen's hockey pants to stand as Colorado's only goal on a night when the defending champs exited in large part because of Grubauer.

In all, MacKinnon fired 40 shots on net against fan favorite and teammate-beloved "Grubi." That's the fifth most in the salary-cap era during a postseason series and fans won't be surprised Alex Ovechkin made the list twice.

MacKinnon started the seven-game series on April 18 by unleashing eight shots on Grubauer, none for goals as the Kraken posted the first "W' and exclamation point of the first round of a new and glorious chapter of Seattle hockey history. When asked a routine question after the game about "what he saw" in Grubauer's 35-save night, the Avalanche alternate captain grunted one word, "Nothing."

Here's something: Grubauer won three games in Denver in the second half of April. He posted a better save percentage on the road than his average for the first-round knockout of the champs, which included two games (the first and last) both coming in hot at .971. After a Game 3 home showing that Grubauer would like to take back, he finished off the series and his ex-teammates with a 3-1 record and .934 save percentage in Games 4 through 7. That's top three among goalies who have played the majority of their teams' games in the first round and top five in pretty much every category that matters to the hockey analytics community.

In the handshake line that is tradition after every Stanley Cup Playoffs series, MacKinnon clearly said something to Grubauer. Likely not about stopping the Avalanche center cold on two Grade-A, point-blank chances, one each midway through the first and second periods of Game 7.

Afterward, the fire in Grubauer was evident and efficiently dispersed: "Personally, I don't know what to say," Grubauer said. "It means a lot, ending their season and beating the defending Stanley Cup champions. So, lots more to come for our group, but that's only series one."

The "lot more to come" starts quickly for the Seattle upstarts with Game 1 against Dallas Tuesday (6:30 p.m. ESPN, KJR 93.3). Grubauer will face an opposing goaltender in Jake Oettinger, whose save percentage in the opening round was just three ticks above Grubauer and will clearly challenge the Kraken's depth-scoring approach. Having Grubauer even-keel in goal will be both necessity and comfort.

The first period Sunday in Denver is a prime example: Colorado had the jump on the Kraken, outshooting the visitors 16 to 6 and staging an extended push in the final 12 minutes of the first period. Grubauer stopped every attempt, with that mid-period save on MacKinnon making the louder statement than any post-game remarks.

That didn't stop alternate captain and two-time Cup winner Yanni Gourde from praising Grubauer in the victorious locker room. In fact, Gourde, clearly drained, rose his voice and amped his enthusiasm when talking about his teammate's stalwart work in net.

"Grubi was a big part of that," said Gourde, when asked how the Kraken withstood the frenzied first period and shots from MacKinnon, Rantanen, and series villain Cale Maker. "Yeah, we were on our heels and we didn't skate [to match Colorado]. But Grubi was there for us and that's what we needed."

Dave Hakstol called Grubauer "the best player on the ice" without hesitation and with all due respect to goal-scoring Oliver Bjorkstrand, who tallied both goals and by Hakstol's and Ron Francis' post-game comments could have notched "four or five" goals.

Grubauer's early season was uneven and he was out for a month in the fall, giving way to Martin Jones even when he returned due to 20-plus wins from the 2022 free-agent signing of Jones to fortify the goaltending group with Chris Driedger injured.

"It was hard during the season, switching back and forth a couple of times," said Grubauer about winning the No. 1 job back. "But toward the end of the season, playing a majority of the games, it helps you to get into the groove."

Not surprisingly, Grubauer distributed full credit to his teammates, who blocked 29 shots in Game 7 and allowed just seven shots from MacKinnon and company in their most desperate and needy period of the series.

"Guys made it really easy for me to see pucks and the ones I didn't see, they did a hell of a job blocking them," said Grubauer when asked if he "was in the zone."

It all adds up to more pre-game social media posts of the stylish Grubauer walking into that night's arena with a signature hat. He's ready and you best believe the Kraken faithful will have their "Gruuuuu" chants (even heard in Denver at times, still loved there) in Stanley Cup Playoffs form.

"Pretty, pretty tight, tight games," said Grubauer, sizing up the Kraken's 1-1-1 record against Dallas during the regular season. "But they're a really good team in the playoffs. The cards get mixed, new, and fresh."