Which NHL goalies are best at stopping high-danger shots — and why are they so good?

Several factors determine the statistical likelihood of a given shot finding the back of the net.

Whether or not there was a pass leading to the shot plays a big factor, as does the goalies view of the shot release.

Over large samples, the biggest determining factor of a shots chances of scoring is its distance from the net.

Advertisement From a goaltending perspective, saves on shots closer to the net are more difficult, and therefore more valuable.

League-average save percentages drop dramatically as shots get closer, so the goalies who excel at those saves give their teams a big advantage.

Thanks to the NHL s player- and puck-tracking technology, we now have the exact locations of every shot taken since the start of the 2021-22 season.

We went back and compiled all of that data to reveal which goalies are making the most difficult saves at the highest rates.

The NHL separates shots into three main distance ranges: high-danger, mid-range and long-range.

High-danger shots come from the area within 29 feet of the center of the goal and inside imaginary lines drawn from the faceoff dot to two feet outside each goalpost.

Mid-range shots follow those same imaginary lines, but are between 29 and 43 feet from the center of the goal, and long-range shots are more than 43 feet from the center of the goal while still inside the offensive zone.

Heres what the zones look like on the ice: These stats only account for shots taken inside this cone, and exclude any from sharp angles along the walls.

The league-average save percentages from each range vary.

So, which goalies were the best at stopping the most difficult shots? Here are the top six in high-danger save percentage, among the 40 goalies who made at least 100 starts over the last four seasons.

There arent many surprises on this list.

These are six of the most talented and athletic netminders in the league, so it makes sense they have stopped the most high-danger shots.

The one who may stand out to some is Carolinas Frederik Andersen , who isnt often ranked among the elite due to the myriad injury problems hes faced.

When Andersen is on the ice, hes an outstanding goalie.

His overall save percentage of .919 since 2021 is third in the league behind only Linus Ullmark and Igor Shesterkin .

The difference is that during that span Andersen has faced only 848 high-danger shots in his 104 starts, while Shesterkin has faced 1,626 in 188 starts and Ullmark has faced 1,136 in 147 starts.

Advertisement Since returning from a lengthy layoff in March, Andersen is 12-2-0 in his last 14 starts (dating to last season) with an incredible .949 save percentage and 21.41 goals saved above expected.

Hes currently out of the lineup for Carolina after undergoing a knee procedure in November, but if he can remain healthy for any extended stretch, he should be considered amongst the elite.

Hes particularly good on shots from in close because of his size, athleticism and calm demeanor.

What else makes these other goalies so well-equipped to stop the most difficult shots? Athleticism certainly plays a large role, and these goalies have plenty of that.

Look no further than this acrobatic save by Thatcher Demko on Dec.

10 against St.

Louis .

This was Demkos first game back from a lower-body injury that held him out of the first two months of the season, and yet he went full-splits to rob Dylan Holloway with ease.

That level of flexibility from a 6-foot-4 goalie with Demkos range is almost not fair, but these goalies arent relying on pure athleticism.

There are details to their games that allow that ability to shine.

Patience is key.

Playing a guessing game with shooters can leave goalies out of position, but these elite netminders wait out shooters, forcing them to make the first move.

This breakaway save by Shesterkin on Chicagos Ryan Donato on Dec.

9 is a perfect example.

The closer the puck gets to the net especially in a one-on-one situation the more difficult it is to remain patient.

Goalies get antsy, worried that a low-shot can beat them five-hole, and bite on fakes and dekes.

Donato tried baiting Shesterkin with several fakes on this play, but Shesterkin stayed completely still through all of the misdirection, keeping his edges and his nose on top of the puck until Donatos final deke to his forehand.

Shesterkin then exploded to snuff the shot with his pad.

A big reason Shesterkin is able to remain so patient in these situations is because he is so strong on his edges with a wide stance, so he has less fear of getting beat by a low shot.

The wider a goalies skates get, the closer their pads are to the ice, making them less susceptible to a five-hole shot.

The tradeoff is most goalies lose mobility in a wide stance, with less leverage to explode laterally, but not Shesterkin (or his elite counterparts).

Shesterkin made an impressive glove save on Dec.

6 against Pittsburgh star Evgeni Malkin that showed off this specific skill.

First, Shesterkin squared up to Penguins forward Philip Tomasino (No.

53) in his relaxed stance, with his skates shoulder-width apart.

As Tomasino cut in and became more of a shooting threat, Shesterkin entered an aggressive, ready stance with his skates much wider.

Some coaches might dissuade a goalie from entering this wide of a stance with a dangerous passing option on the back side of the play, but Shesterkin is still able to get an explosive push across to snare Malkins one-timer even from that wide, shot-ready position.

The rare ability to get into the most optimal position to make a save on a shot, while still maintaining that mobility, is part of what makes Shesterkin special.

Advertisement If theres a single trait that equips a goalie to make high-danger saves, its probably lateral explosion.

One of the best at it is Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin .

The 29-year-old has stopped high-danger shots at the third-highest rate since 2021, many of which were backdoor one-timers like this backhand attempt by Los Angeles forward Quinton Byfield on Dec.

10.

Not only does Sorokin have the quickness to get his left pad across, he also maintains good structure, with his glove hand extended along the top of his pad to maximize net coverage.

Goalies obviously dont have the time to react to a shot from this close, so getting as much of their body in front of the puck is crucial.

Demko provided a good example of this on a game-saving stop in the final minute of Vancouver s game against Utah on Dec.

18.

The initial shot from the point was blocked by Canucks defenseman Vincent Desharnais and bounced straight to Utahs Michael Carcone , who unleashed a slap shot from close range.

Demko tracked the puck through the traffic and saw Carcone winding up for a shot.

Rather than reaching with his limbs, Demko held his structure, planted his right skate and pushed his entire body across.

By the time Carcone shot, Demko had nearly the entire net covered which was the only way to make this save.

The angle from behind the net really highlights Demkos poise.

Because high-danger shots come from too close for a goalie to have much reaction time, play-reading ability is crucial to stopping them.

Its probably the biggest reason Ottawa s Ullmark finds himself near the top of this list.

Over the last four years, Ullmark leads all goalies with a .923 overall save percentage, and he has never posted a high-danger save percentage below the league average.

Theres plenty of athleticism on display on this lunging blocker save he made Dec.

14 on Sidney Crosby , but its Ullmarks play-reading intuition that put him in position to make it.

During every rush chance, the goalie plays a game of depth management.

The further out of the crease he ventures, the better chance he has of making a stop on a shot, but it also gives him more distance to cover in the event of a pass.

Its an art, and its different for every goalie depending on their size, lateral speed and reaction time.

Advertisement Ullmark played this situation perfectly, identifying Crosby as a passing threat on the back side of the play, and retreating into his crease to give himself a chance to get across for the save.

From inside his crease, he only needed to move a couple feet to make the stop.

Notice the difference in how he plays this rush chance against Nashville a week earlier.

This time, Ullmark realizes theres no passing threat and telescopes well outside of his crease to give Predators forward Cole Smith nothing to shoot at.

Combine all of these traits, and you get the best goalies on the planet.

Its no wonder theyre the best at stopping the most difficult shots.

Out of curiosity, we did look to see which goalies have the worst save percentage against high-danger shots, with San Jose s Vitek Vanecek and Seattle s Philipp Grubauer topping the list (among goalies with at least 100 starts).

If you were wondering which goalies stop the highest rate of shots from mid-range, its many of the same names from the high-danger list, with the addition of two more star goalies: Connor Hellebuyck and Juuse Saros .

Hellebuyck, Ullmark and Shesterkin also find themselves on the list of top long-range shot-stoppers, but two new goalies top that list.

Jeremy Swayman and Adin Hill have been incredibly efficient at stopping shots from long range.

Swayman has yet to allow a goal from that distance this season, stopping all 147.

Last year, Hill stopped 199 of 200.

Its interesting because theyre not similar stylistically, but they do have a common trait that could be leading to this.

Hill and Swayman patrol the top of their crease with aggression.

Neither is afraid to join their defensemen in the physical nature of protecting the net-front, often shoving potential screeners with a swift blocker to the back.

Advertisement This does two things that could be leading to success on long-range shots.

First, it leads to less screens that they have to look through.

Not only are they more active in getting around screens, the way they play those situations could dissuade players from screening them in the first place.

Nearly all of the goals scored from this distance are a result of a screen.

Second, their aggressive nature on these plays draws them further out from their net, cutting off the already limited shooting angles from the point.

Overall, these findings arent groundbreaking.

Its no surprise that the leagues elite goalies are atop these lists.

Shesterkin and Ullmark were the only two to make the top five from all three shooting ranges, but the overall lists are littered with the best goalies in the NHL.

It does highlight the importance of large sample sizes when it comes to evaluating goalie stats.

While its easy for the best to have a rough stretch or even a rough season statistically, over time the talent bears out.

(Top photo of Ilya Sorokin: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.