WHL Season Rewind: Save percentage leaders
From start to finish, the 2019-20 Western Hockey League Regular Season provided plenty of standout performances both individually and as a team. Starting Friday, April 3, and featuring each Monday and Friday, we’ll reflect on key performers in statistical categories from the regular season that was. Welcome to the 2019-20 WHL Season Rewind. Today, we’re looking at the leaders between the pipes in save percentage who played in a minimum of 40% of their team’s minutes throughout the regular season.
1. Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips (.935 SV%)
The Calgary Flames prospect and Western Conference Goaltender of the Year has appeared multiple times in the WHL Season Rewind already and leads once again with a .935 save percentage. It might have seemed unreasonable for him to repeat his stellar .936 save percentage from the 2018-19 WHL Regular Season, but Wolf more than delivered this season as well, coming in a shade under last year’s career-best mark.
In addition to his nine shutouts, marking a perfect 221 saves in those contests, Wolf posted a save percentage above .950 in 20 of his 46 appearances. That included three of his highest single-game save totals from the regular season: a 42-save performance on 44 shots at home against the B.C. Division Champion Kamloops Blazers, a 41-save shutout on the road against the Medicine Hat Tigers and a 38-save performance on 39 shots at home against the Portland Winterhawks.
Give us a big awoooo! 🐺@NHLFlames prospect @dwolf2332 of @WHLsilvertips features in this week's #CHLShowdown!
🎥 & 🗳 at https://t.co/7yDjgBnOjx pic.twitter.com/PWC5rcQWD1
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 5, 2019
2. Shane Farkas, Victoria Royals (.929 SV%)
Tending to the Royals’ net during his overage season in the WHL, Farkas placed second in save percentage among all qualified WHL goaltenders with a .929 SV%, a career-best mark and his third-straight season above the .900 SV% threshold. In 14 of the 28 games he appeared in, Farkas recorded a .950 or better against his opponents.
In addition to a pair of shutouts, accounting for 58 of his 763 saves, Farkas backstopped the Royals to a comeback win on home ice, stepping in for relief midway through the second period and stopping all 16 shots. He also recorded the second and third performances of 40 or more saves in his WHL career this season. He sported a .977 SV% in a 42-save performance to claim a 2-1 overtime win against his former team, the Winterhawks, on January 10, 2020. On December 13, 2019 against the Prince George Cougars, Farkas maintained a .952 SV% by making 40 saves through 65 minutes in a 3-2 shootout win.
.@sfarkas37 of @victoriaroyals is your WHL @VaughnHockey Goaltender of the Month for January!
DETAILS 📰 | https://t.co/XUufsuia97 pic.twitter.com/uEyRpECXBX
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 3, 2020
3. Dylan Garand, Kamloops Blazers (.921 SV%)
Backstopping the Blazers to a B.C. Division title, Garand was one of the top goaltenders in the WHL and excelled in the classroom as well to earn the Western Conference Scholastic Player of the Year honours. After maintaining a .902 SV% through 27 games in the 2018-19 WHL Regular Season, Garand elevated that figure to a .921 SV% in the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season. In a third of his appearances, 14 of 42 games, Garand posted a .950 SV% or higher.
Garand counted 96 of his saves across four shutouts this season. He also recorded a career-high 37 saves in a win on November 9, 2019 at home against the Medicine Hat Tigers, sporting a .925 SV% in the game. Including that performance, 14 of Garand’s 22 games that saw him record a .925 SV% or better came on home ice at the Sandman Centre. Five of the eight that came on the road were against B.C. Division opponents.
🎥 WHL Highlight of the Night 🎥
October 19, 20192020 #NHLDraft prospect @DylanGarand31 of @blazerhockey
#WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/Giaau8K9zo— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 20, 2019
4. Jiri Patera, Brandon Wheat Kings (.921 SV%)
The Vegas Golden Knights prospect and Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year, Patera posted a .921 SV% to mark one of the better single-season save percentages in recent memory by a Wheat King goaltender. Tied for third in the WHL in the statistical category, Patera posted a .950 SV% or better in 12 of his 41 appearances this season. As well, eight of those 12 games featured on home ice.
Tying for the Eastern Conference lead with five shutouts, those five performances accounted for 158 of his 1,217 saves. Patera was no stranger to facing a large amount of shots in the 2018-19 WHL Regular Season, compiling six performances of 40 saves or more. During the 2019-20 WHL Regular Season, he had five of those performances. Two of those top performances came on home ice against B.C. Division opponents. On October 4, 2019, Patera recorded a 40-save shutout against the Vancouver Giants. He also made a season-high 45 saves on 48 shots in a win against the Royals on January 24, 2020.
🎥 WHL Highlight of the Night 🎥
January 10, 2020@GoldenKnights prospect @jiri_patera of @bdnwheatkings#WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/0SK3bPQ2P8— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 11, 2020
5. Sebastian Cossa, Edmonton Oil Kings (.921 SV%)
The rookie goaltender made a strong impression between the pipes with the Oil Kings this season, posting a .921 SV% across 33 games. In 12 of those 33 games he posted a .950 SV% or better against his opponents, with half of those games coming on home ice. Recording four shutouts this season, 102 of Cossa’s 817 saves came via shutout performances.
Cossa’s first start in his WHL career saw him record a 40-save shutout against the Winnipeg ICE on October 4, 2019. In his return to Winnipeg on February 19, 2020, Cossa stopped all 27 shots for his fourth and final shutout of the season. In addition to the career-high 40-save performance, 10 of his 33 games saw him record 30 or more saves this season for the Oil Kings.
🎥 WHL Highlight of the Night 🎥
February 25, 2020@SebastianCossa of @EdmOilKings#WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/hyx4dH4Fuw— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 26, 2020
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