This article is part of our The Goalie Report series.
Risers
Joel Hofer 
St. Louis Blues
Hofer has outperformed his more heralded goalie partner, Jordan Binnington, for several weeks. It's gotten to the point where St. Louis management has pretty much indicated that they may be ready to hand him the top goalie role next season, while Binnington will be in the last season of a multi-year deal at a $6 million AAV. Last week Hofer added another three quality starts to a stretch that began in early January. He's been getting most of the starts for the past two months, and his numbers have been better than Binnington in that time.
Connor Hellebuyck 
Winnipeg Jets
While his NHL club is not likely to earn a playoff spot, the MVP of the US Olympic hockey team has been at the top of his game since his return to North America. Last week, he added three more quality starts and earned two more wins to draw the Jets to within five points of the last playoff spot in the West. On the whole season, his goals against average (2.74) and his save percentage (.902) are worse than his three previous seasons, but his recent play indicates that he's still capable of finding his top level of play.
Ville Husso 
Anaheim Ducks
Husso made the most of the opportunity to play in two of the Ducks last four games after watching Lukas Dostal start the previous seven games. Husso put up better stats last week that Dostal, as he produced consecutive quality starts. Despite the fact that Dostal has been the busier goalie by far, Husso has now played himself back into the mix and is in position to see more game starts if he can continue to perform at this level. The Ducks are in a tight playoff race and you have to think they'll go with the hot hand in goal.
Juuse Saros 
Nashville Predators
As the Preds are also part of that same competitive Western Conference playoff race, currently trailing the final wildcard spot by a single point, there's no question that the club's MVP will start the large majority of remaining games. Saros produced three straight quality starts last week to show that he'll be up to that task. Don't be swayed by the fact that his season-long numbers are a little higher than they've been in the last two seasons when the Preds missed the playoffs. He and his team have made up ground on the field in recent weeks and he's got to be excited about what lies ahead.
Igor Shesterkin 
New York Rangers
Despite the fact that the Rangers won't make the playoffs this season, Shesterkin's stats line, including a 2.49 goals against average and a .913 save percentage are among league leaders. Those totals are in line with his career norms. Consider that he stopped 62 of 66 shots to record wins in his last two starts. He has merely reinforced his reputation as one of the league's top goalies once again this season, despite the Rangers poor overall record.
Ilya Sorokin 
New York Islanders
Sorokin has been a key performer for an Islander team that has put themselves in a playoff spot through 65 games thus far, as he hopes to return to the postseason for the first time in three seasons. His goals against average (2.50) and save percentage (.913) are both significantly better than those nonplayoff seasons, so you know he's done his part here. Last week was just more of the same as he won two of his three starts. That win rate will get the job done over the remaining schedule, and his overall numbers should get him into the Vezina Trophy discussion at season's end.
Fallers
Mackenzie Blackwood 
Colorado Avalanche
Even though the Avs are atop the league's overall standings, they don't want to reveal a weak spot to embolden other clubs. In Colorado, that weak spot can only be in goal, because they have the league's most potent offense. They also have the league's lowest goals against average (2.44 per game), but Blackwood drew attention to himself with a pair of poor appearances during which he gave up eight goals against out of only 35 shots on goal last week. His teammate, Scott Wedgewood, has won his last four starts and moved out in front in this season-long battle for control of the Colorado crease.
Brandon Bussi 
Carolina Hurricanes
Bussi has been one of the NHL's most surprising goalie stories this season because of the way he has stepped to gain control as the top goalie in Carolina, ahead of the struggling Frederik Andersen and injured Pyotr Kochetkov. You can certainly make the case that he's been a major key to team success.
However, last week may have seen his first significant misstep, as he was blitzed for nine goals against while facing only 47 shots over his two starts. Andersen wasn't much better, with only 37 saves out of 44 shots, but he did come away with two wins. It will be interesting to monitor goalie starts going forward here, to see who gets the nod to start in the playoffs.
Joey Daccord 
Seattle Kraken
Daccord has been busier than his teammate, Philipp Grubauer, with 38 starts compared to 21, but Grubauer's stats line, which includes a 2.38 goals against average and .913 save percentage, are better than Daccord's numbers (2.79 and .903, respectively). In addition, Daccord further muddied the waters by allowing 10 goals against out of only 63 shots that he faced in his two starts last week. It is no wonder that the Kraken have activated their third goalie, Matt Murray, following his lengthy stint on the injured list. This is yet another team in that crowded Western Conference playoff race that has to put its best foot forward, and that could see a a shakeup of the goalie ranks here.
