Projected starters, predictions from fantasy staff for weekly Tuesday contest
Each Tuesday, NHL fans can play the Pepsi Zero Sugar NHL Goalie Challenge. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy.
The weekly contest will allow fans to showcase their knowledge by choosing team goalies for three different categories (win, fewest goals against, most saves) with bonus points awarded for any shutouts from your team goalie picks.
NOTE: Fans can create their own leagues or join the “NHL Fantasy on Ice” podcast group (league code: BT219R).
—
Potential win: Utah Hockey Club (vs. CHI)
Utah remains in Stanley Cup Playoff contention in the Western Conference despite dealing with some major injuries earlier in the season and are getting healthy with recent returns of forwards Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley and defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino. Utah quietly ranks sixth in the NHL in shot attempts percentage at 5-on-5 (52.1) and tied for 15th in 5-on-5 save percentage (.914). Utah is 4-2-0 in its past six games, including a 5-4 road shootout win against the NHL’s best points percentage team in the Washington Capitals (.737) on Feb. 9. The tandem of Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka faces the Chicago Blackhawks, who have the worst SAT% (44.9) in the League and second-fewest wins (17) ahead of only the San Jose Sharks (15). — Pete Jensen
Chance for fewest goals allowed: Washington Capitals (vs. CGY)
The Capitals are tied for the third-fewest goals allowed per game (2.51), and the Calgary Flames rank 29th in goals scored per game (2.64) this season. Washington goalie Logan Thompson, who is 25-2-5 (14-1-5 at home) this season, stopped 32 of 33 shots faced against the Flames on Jan. 28. Among goalies with 20 games played, Thompson ranks fourth in goals-against average (2.25), tied for second in save percentage (.920) and fourth in wins (25). He has allowed two or fewer goals in 19 of his past 27 starts. Per NHL EDGE stats, Thompson is first in midrange save percentage (.941) and goal differential (1.72), second in percentage of games with a save percentage greater than .900 (71.0), 10th in high-danger save percentage (.825) and is tied for the fourth-fewest high-danger goals allowed (14). The Flames rank 30th in 5-on-5 shooting percentage (6.9), and the Capitals are tied for fifth in penalty kill percentage (81.9). — Chris Meaney
Chance for most saves: Toronto Maple Leafs (at BOS)
Goalie Anthony Stolarz is 2-0-0 with a .934 save percentage in two starts since returning from a knee procedure that caused him to miss 24 games. Stolarz has not allowed a goal until the third period in either of those starts (36 saves on 36 shots faced in first and second periods combined) and visits the Boston Bruins, whom he shut out in his most-recent game (29 saves on Nov. 5, 2024). The Bruins are winless in five of their past seven games and have only scored 52 third-period goals this season, tied with the Ottawa Senators for the fewest among Eastern Conference teams. Among goalies to start at least 15 games, Stolarz ranks first in save percentage (.928) and second in goals-against average (2.13). The Maple Leafs have had one of the best goalie tandems in the League (.903 team save percentage; eighth best) with Stolarz and Joseph Woll, and, per NHL EDGE stats, Stolarz has excelled in high-danger save percentage (.833; 85th percentile). — Troy Perlowitz
—
—
