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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Three common NHL goalie stats answer different questions: save percentage shows the share of shots stopped, goals-against average shows goals allowed per 60 minutes, and a quality-start figure counts starts that meet a stated save-percentage threshold. To compare goalies fairly, check the sample, workload, date range, and the source’s definition—not just the numbers.
What does save percentage mean?
Save percentage (SV%) is saves divided by shots faced, according to the NHL Hockey Glossary. It expresses the share of shots on goal the goalie stopped. For example, .900 corresponds arithmetically to 90 saves per 100 shots faced; that illustration is not a league average or a performance benchmark.
The NHL glossary defines a shot on goal as a shot, tip, or deflection that enters the net or would have entered had the goaltender not stopped it. SV% therefore describes results on shots counted as shots on goal, rather than every attempt directed toward the net.
How is goals-against average calculated?
Goals-against average (GAA) is goals allowed multiplied by 60, divided by minutes played: GAA = goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played. The NHL glossary’s formula expresses goals allowed per 60 minutes.
A lower GAA means fewer goals were allowed per 60 minutes over the measured span. It does not, by itself, explain the circumstances behind those goals or isolate the goalie’s contribution from other factors.
What is a quality start in hockey?
“Quality start” needs a source-specific definition. NHL EDGE coverage uses it for a start in which the goalie records a save percentage greater than .900, and describes quality-start percentage as the proportion of starts that meet that threshold. See NHL EDGE’s coverage of starting goalie decisions in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That is the definition used in those NHL EDGE articles, not a universal standard established for every hockey data provider. When reading a quality-start total or percentage, check which source supplied it and what threshold that source applies.
How do the three stats differ?
| Stat | What it measures | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Save percentage (SV%) | Saves divided by shots faced | Share of faced shots stopped; higher means a larger share stopped. |
| Goals-against average (GAA) | Goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played | Goals allowed per 60 minutes; lower means fewer allowed per 60 minutes. |
| Quality starts | Starts meeting a source-defined threshold | For the cited NHL EDGE usage, a start with SV% greater than .900; confirm the definition when using another source. |
SV% is a shot-based rate, GAA is a time-based rate, and quality starts classify individual starts using a threshold. They are not interchangeable summaries of the same thing.
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How to compare goalie stat lines fairly
- Match the competition and date range. Compare regular-season figures with regular-season figures, or postseason figures with postseason figures, over the same span. NHL coverage and records distinguish regular-season and postseason statistics; mixing them does not produce a like-for-like comparison.
- Check workload and sample size. Look at games played, starts, and minutes alongside the rate stats. A short run and a full season represent different amounts of opportunity. NHL record tables and some NHL EDGE comparisons apply minimum-game qualifiers, so verify the relevant leaderboard’s cutoff rather than assuming every list includes the same sample.
- Use each metric for the question it answers. Use SV% to see the share of shots stopped, GAA for goals allowed per 60 minutes, and quality starts to count starts passing the source’s stated threshold.
- Verify the quality-start definition. Do not apply NHL EDGE’s greater-than-.900 threshold to a figure from another provider unless that provider uses the same rule.
These stats describe outcomes over a defined sample. None of the three, on its own, establishes how much of those outcomes was caused by goalie skill rather than other factors.
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