To track NHL goalie stats, pair each goalie’s workload—starts, shots faced and time on ice—with saves, goals against, save percentage and goals-against average. To compare team defense, add shots and goals allowed per game, team goalie results, and penalty-kill measures. Use matching seasons and game types in NHL Stats; wins alone cannot show how much work a goalie faced or how effectively a team limited shots.
What goalie stats matter?
A useful goalie snapshot combines workload with results. The NHL’s goalie table includes games played, games started, shots against (SA), saves (Svs), goals against (GA), save percentage (Sv%), goals-against average (GAA), time on ice (TOI), shutouts (SO), wins and losses.
- Workload: Games started, shots against and time on ice show how much and how often the goalie played.
- Results: Saves and goals against provide the underlying counts; save percentage and GAA express results as rates.
- Context: Wins and shutouts are useful additional outcomes, but do not replace the shot and goal record.
NHL Stats’ goalie table provides these fields for season and game views. Choose the season and game type before comparing figures.
What does save percentage mean?
Save percentage is saves divided by shots faced, as defined in the NHL glossary. Read it beside shots against: a similar percentage over substantially different shot volumes represents a different amount of work.
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Goals-against average is a complementary rate measure. Consider it alongside save percentage and the team’s shots allowed; neither rate by itself captures the full goalie performance or isolates the goalie from the defense in front of them.
How do I compare team defense in the NHL?
Start with goals against per game (GA/GP) and shots against per game (SA/GP). The first shows scoring outcomes; the second shows the defensive workload allowed. Add team save percentage and GAA to see how goalie results appear in the team report.
The NHL team save-percentage table separates goalie goals against, empty-net goals, total goals against, saves and team save percentage. That breakdown helps explain why total team goals against and goalie goals against can differ. Check the component fields rather than assuming they are interchangeable.
Include penalty-kill performance
Track both penalty-kill percentage (PK%) and net penalty-kill percentage (Net PK%). They are related, but not identical: the NHL describes its net measure as accounting for shorthanded goals scored by the penalty kill. A raw PK% does not include that scoring contribution. Team defensive and special-teams fields are available through NHL Stats’ team table and its statistics pages.
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A fair comparison workflow
- Match the season and game type. Select the same season and type of play for both entries. Do not treat a regular-season aggregate, playoff aggregate and single-game line as equivalent.
- Compare goalie workload with outcomes. Put starts, shots faced and time on ice beside saves, goals against, Sv%, GAA and shutouts. Use wins as context, not as a substitute for those figures.
- Compare team workload with outcomes. Review SA/GP and GA/GP alongside team Sv% and GAA. This shows both the volume of shots allowed and the goals conceded.
- Keep special teams distinct. Compare PK% and Net PK% as separate measures, noting that the NHL’s net figure accounts for shorthanded goals scored by the penalty kill.
- Avoid a one-stat verdict. These official tables describe results; they do not, by themselves, break down defensive responsibility or adjust for shot quality.
Where to find and record the numbers
Use the NHL Stats goalie and team tables as the primary source for official fields. Select the relevant season and game type, then sort or filter for the statistics in your comparison. The NHL glossary can clarify definitions such as save percentage and shots on goal.
A scorebook can help you record events or observations while watching, but it is optional. NHL Stats provides official season and game tables, so a physical book is not necessary to obtain the figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use historical league averages
League-wide averages can provide historical context, but date the comparison. In a December 16, 2019 article, NHL.com reported a league-average save percentage of .915 in 2015–16 and .910 through 483 games in the season discussed. Those are historical figures, not a current league average. Check current NHL tables for current-season values.
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