BETWEEN THE PIPES BY MIKE MCKENNA
It's been an interesting season in goal for the Avalanche, where incumbent Philipp Grubauer and 30-year old rookie Pavel Francouz have split time. Grubauer began 2019-20 as the starter, turning in a solid 6-1-2 record during the month of October. However, it wasn't long before an injury sidelined Grubauer, allowing Francouz to take over and win 21 of his 30 starts. Francouz's 13.06 Goals Saved Above Average was 6th best in the NHL, and both his GAA (2.41) and SV% (.923) rank inside the league's top 10. Grubauer kept pace with a .916 SV% and 6.48 GSAA. He was also slightly more consistent: in 36 starts, Grubauer had 4 Really Bad Starts (RBS: games with a SV% below 85%), while Francouz had 5 in 30 games. Both goaltenders have played well against the Golden Knights: Grubauer is 2-2-0 lifetime with a 2.54 GAA and .927 SV%, while Francouz won his only career start against Vegas this past December. He made 29 saves on 32 shots and was named 3rd star of the game.