Backup plan: NHL leaning more on No. 2 goalies

Al Montoya and the Montreal Canadiens showed again on Wednesday evening why having a capable backup goalie is essential in today's NHL.

The Habs signed the 31-year-old last summer in hopes he would provide solid relief for Carey Price, who returned this season after missing the final 70 games of 2015-16 with a knee injury.

Montoya was pressed into duty early and often this season when Price was hit hard with the flu. The backup responded with a 2-0-1 start.

Once Price was healthy enough to play, he won his first three starts. But with back-to-back games against the New York Islanders on Wednesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the Habs' coaching staff decided to start Montoya in the first game and put Price back in goal at home against the Lightning.

Montoya did his part with 26 saves in a win that improved Montreal's league-leading record to 6-0-1.

Give 'em a rest

A numbers-crunching study in 2013 by broadstreethockey.com showed that goalies who played in games on consecutive nights posted an average save percentage of .892, compared to .912 for goalies who had at least one day of rest between appearances.

Like all of these theories, there are exceptions. The Calgary Flames, for instance, decided to start a struggling Brian Elliott in back-to-back games earlier this week in the hopes he could play his way out of his early-season doldrums. The plan worked as Elliott beat the Chicago Blackhawks and his old club, the St. Louis Blues.

The trend, however, has been for most teams to not only play their backup in one of the back-to-back games, but to give the No. 1 netminder a rest in about 25 games over the course of a season.

A good backup is even more vital this season, with a compressed schedule resulting in more back-to-backs.

The days of riding a No. 1 goalie for 75-plus games and expecting him to have enough left in the tank for a long playoff run appear to be over. Teams have concluded that they not only need outstanding goaltending to win a championship, but a rested goalie.

The statistics back up this notion.

Since the lockout-cancelled 2004-05 season, not a single netminder who led the league in appearances has advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

• 2005-06: Roberto Luongo, Florida, 75 appearances — did not make playoffs
• 2006-07: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey, 78 — eliminated 2nd round
• 2007-08: Brodeur, New Jersey, 77 — eliminated 1st round
• 2008-09: Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary, 74 — eliminated 1st round 
• 2009-10: Brodeur, New Jersey, 77 — eliminated 1st round
• 2010-11: Cam Ward, Carolina, 74 — did not make playoffs
• 2011-12: Jonas Hiller, Anaheim, 73 — did not make playoffs
• 2011-12: Pekka Rinne, Nashville, 73 — eliminated 2nd round
• 2012-13: Andrej Pavelec, Winnipeg, 44 — did not make playoffs*
• 2013-14: Kari Lehtonen, Dallas, 65 — eliminated 1st round
• 2014-15: Braden Holtby, Washington, 73 — eliminated 2nd round
• 2015-16: Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles, 68 — eliminated 1st round

*Lockout-shortened 48-game season

Meanwhile, on the past 11 Stanley Cup-winning teams, only two of the goalies who did the bulk of the playoff work made more than 60 appearances during that regular season.

• 2005-06: Ward, Carolina, 47 (ranked 28th in league)
• 2006-07: Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim, 56 (18th)
• 2007-08: Chris Osgood, Detroit, 43 (30th)
• 2008-09: Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh 62 (8th)
• 2009-10: Antti Niemi, Chicago, 39 (34th)
• 2010-11: Tim Thomas, Boston, 57 (17th)
• 2011-12: Quick, Los Angeles, 69 (4th)
• 2012-13: Corey Crawford, Chicago, 30 (21st)*
• 2013-14: Quick, Los Angeles, 49 (21st)
• 2014-15: Crawford, Chicago, 57 (16th)
• 2015-16: Matt Murray, Pittsburgh, 13 (67th)

*Lockout shortened 48-game season

More than ever, it seems teams chasing a Stanley Cup had better have a backup plan.

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Backup plan: NHL leaning more on No. 2 goalies