When Alexandar Georgiev allowed a fourth goal on March 24 in the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jared Bednar stuck with him.
The Colorado Avalanche was down by four goals, but rallied for an improbable win. Six days later, Georgiev allowed a fourth goal early in the second against the Nashville Predators and his workday was over.
Justus Annunen relieved Georgiev, stopped all of the 22 shots he faced Saturday afternoon and the Avalanche rallied again for a huge victory.
“Just a gut feeling,” Bednar said. “Yeah, I just saw that (Georgiev) wasn’t sharp, so decided to make the change.”
Annunen has become a great story for the Avalanche, getting promoted midway through the season and now putting up some of the best numbers of any backup goalie in the NHL. He earned a two-year, one-way contract earlier last week and continues to earn more trust from the Avs.
His 22 saves without yielding a goal were the most in an Avalanche relief appearance since 2019.
“You’ve just got to be ready,” Annunen said. “You’re always cold when you jump in, so it’s kind of mental. You just have to jump in and trust yourself and do your best.”
Bednar was blunt after the game when asked if he now has a decision to make on who his starting goaltender is.
“No,” he said.
It does appear that Georgiev has hit another rough patch during what has been mostly a successful season with hints of inconsistent play. The Avs’ No. 1 goalie had put forth his best extended run of games this season, but has now allowed four goals in two of his past three starts and was pulled for the first time Dec. 11.
There was another wrinkle Saturday. A frustrated Georgiev was assessed a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the fourth goal when he shot the puck into the stands. Bednar admitted the penalty was part of the decision to make a change.
Georgiev has always been a fiery competitor. He’s made no secret that he felt like he deserved to play more when was behind Igor Shesterkin in New York, and has said repeatedly that he likes to play as much as possible now that he’s the No. 1 in Denver.
There is a fine line between competitive spirit and a problematic temper. Georgiev has mostly exuded the former during his time with the Avalanche.
He famously had a postgame altercation with Tony DeAngelo while playing for the Rangers, but Georgiev earned more praise than admonishment from fans and the media after the incident because of the reputation of the other guy involved.
Georgiev has shown his frustration after goals allowed a few times this season, but the penalty against the Predators was a first.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him,” Bednar said when asked why Georgiev has done that more this season than last. “That’s a question for (Georgiev).”
Meanwhile, Annunen is now 5-1-1 with nine goals allowed and a .955 save percentage in his past seven appearances. He has a .932 save percentage in 10 NHL games this season.
Among goalies with five or more games played, Annunen is second only to Carolina’s Frederik Andersen in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, according to Money Puck.
“He’s played really well for us,” Bedar said. “So he keeps having starts like that and playing that like and the confidence is growing every day.”
Georgiev’s body of work for the season is still a positive, and his recent form before Saturday looked like a goalie who was ready for a deep playoff run. He’d allowed fewer goals than expected in 13 of his previous 18 starts and two of the five when he didn’t (at Vancouver, vs. Pittsburgh) were great comeback wins that he played a large role in.
The last time he was pulled from a game, his backup (then Ivan Prosvetov) finished off a comeback win, then started the next two games. Bednar called it a mini-break for Georgiev.
It was possible that Annunen was going to get the next two starts for the Avs just because of the schedule, even before what happened Saturday. Given the recent rotation, Annunen was likely to get the start Monday in Columbus.
The next two games are a back-to-back in Minnesota and Edmonton. Prosvetov and Annunen have played against the weaker of the two foes in back-to-back situations, so that would mean Annunen against the Wild and Georgiev against the high-powered Oilers.
It could be a good chance for the Avs to give Georgiev another short break to rest and reset for the playoffs.
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