Unmasked: Teams getting creative in giving No. 1 goalies extra rest

NHL teams continue to explore new ways to find more rest for their goalies.

For the Vancouver Canucks, it has meant expanding the role of a practice goalie by having a recent pro dedicated solely to that task. For the Colorado Avalanche, it has meant giving their No. 1 goalie a complete night off, not dressing for a game.

For the Montreal Canadiens, on at least two occasions, it meant employing tactics usually reserved for baseball pitchers to ensure their goalie was rested ahead of a start, even if that meant not traveling with the team.

It's all part of trying to ensure the person playing arguably the most taxing position in hockey is as rested as possible.

The designated practice goalie is a big hit in Vancouver.

“I've been asking for this for years and I love it,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “We might even bring him on the road. I never understood having your starting goalie playing 60 games and the next day in practice, he's got to go out there again. As a coach, in the past, you had to alter your practice if you’ve got to get him out after 20 minutes. So, if you have a third goalie or a [practice goalie] like we have I don't have to alter my practice.”

That doesn’t always mean the starting goalie takes the day off.

When the Canucks used a practice goalie on Tuesday, Thatcher Demko, who was coming off a 31-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks the night before, was still on the ice early with goaltending coach Ian Clark. But by the time the rest of the team got out for practice, the extra goalie had replaced Demko.

“I would never take a day off if guys are skating unless I had to, but sometimes the work with Clarkie is more important than seeing a shot from the same spot 100 times,” Demko said after a similar session earlier this season.

Practice goalies are not entirely new, but steps taken to rest goalies by the Avalanche and Canadiens this season are.

Colorado took advantage of having three goalies earlier this season to give Alexandar Georgiev the night off on Jan. 16 at the Ottawa Senators, when the Avalanche started Justus Annunen, and Ivan Prosvetov backed up, after Georgiev made 30 saves in a 4-3 loss at the Canadiens the night before.

“I didn't even want him thinking about hockey today, so we dressed the other two guys,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said after “There'd be no temptation for me to put him in if we struggled or the goalie struggled. … We've been trying to give [Georgiev] as much rest as we can on the off days, but it's not a perfect world when he's in the net as much as he's been in the net.”

Georgiev leads the NHL with 40 games played this season after playing an NHL career-high 62 last season.

Beyond eliminating the temptation to put a tired goalie back in on the second half of back-to-back games, there is a benefit to not even dressing them. Even on nights when a No. 1 goalie is set to be the backup, they still have to go through their normal pregame preparations, warming up their body, eyes and minds just in case they get called upon during the game.

There is a mental and physical toll, and several goalies admitted they might benefit from a night off, but few want to ask for it.

“I would love one but I’m not going to answer that on the record,” one starter said. “You’ve got to be there with your team.”

Coaches might start making the choice for them. Tocchet was intrigued when told how Colorado found extra rest for Georgiev.

“If the roster allowed me, I would do that,” Tocchet said, noting the Avalanche had three goalies on the roster at the time. “[With our American Hockey League affiliate] being an hour away, that is something I would definitely look at.”

Tocchet wondered if hockey might even follow the lead of baseball, with starting pitchers sometimes flown into the city they are next scheduled to pitch ahead of the team. He sees the benefits for the goalie scheduled to start the second half of back-to-back games with tough travel being in the next city early rather than flying overnight and arriving with the team at 3 a.m.

“Hockey is sometimes a little bit old-school,” Tocchet said. “That's actually not a bad idea.”

Turns out, the Canadiens already did it. Twice.

Cayden Primeau was left behind in Montreal to prepare for an Oct. 24 home start against the New Jersey Devils rather than flying back late from a game at the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 23, which Jake Allen started. Sam Montembeault was flown to Tampa Bay for a Dec. 31 start while the team was still in Florida for a Dec. 30 game against the Panthers that Allen also started.

As for practice goalies, several teams, including the Canucks in past seasons, have someone who used to play the position on their staff and will take the place of a No. 1 goalie at various points in practice or a game-day skate.

Other teams call on goalies from local universities, but the Canucks now bring in Roman Basran to provide a break to Demko. Basran had a .911 save percentage in 11 ECHL games at the end of last season after starting the year playing Canadian college hockey.

“This guy is pretty good,” Tocchet said. “In the past you have some guy playing beer league and guys like me and Adam Foote score and think we can play again. [Roman is] not Demko or Casey DeSmith, but he can stop an NHL shot.”

That matters to the shooters, who want to face good goalies.

If it lets your starter get more rest too, it makes even more sense.