NHL Round 2 Goaltending Breakdown: Who Has the Edge in Every Second-Round Series

As Daily Faceoff reported, the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs features some of the tightest goaltending matchups in recent memory — not because the nets are loaded with Vezina finalists, but because the breakout performances and unexpected collapses are happening simultaneously across all four series. What's left in the crease is a fascinating mix of career resurgences, coming-of-age stories, and a legitimate question mark or two that bettors can exploit.

The headliner matchup sits in Carolina and Philadelphia. Daniel Vladar was the single biggest reason the Flyers ousted Pittsburgh, posting a .937 save percentage and 7.85 GSAx over six playoff games — numbers that outperform almost anyone in the field. Across the ice, Frederik Andersen authored a perfect four-game sweep of Ottawa with a .955 SV% of his own, looking nothing like the 36-year-old who limped through a .874 regular-season campaign. The Hurricanes' second line was a wrecking ball in Round 1, and with Andersen dialed in, Carolina enters this series as the structural favorite. But Vladar's level of play means Philadelphia can steal games — and probably will. Expect a high-variance series where the goalie who blinks first likely goes home.

In the East's other second-round matchup, Buffalo's Alex Lyon and Montreal's Jakub Dobes both arrive carrying genuine momentum. Lyon flipped the Sabres' series against Boston almost single-handedly after stepping in for a struggling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, finishing Round 1 at .955 SV%. Dobes, who steadied the Canadiens after the Olympic break and posted a .923 SV% in seven playoff games, eliminated a Vezina finalist in Andrei Vasilevskiy. These are two teams built similarly, with strong goaltending and deep rosters, making the over/under on goals the sharpest lever to pull. When net-minders are this locked in, low-scoring games become the baseline, not the exception.

The Western Conference's most compelling crease battle is Dallas versus Minnesota. Scott Wedgewood has been the story of the postseason — a .955 SV% through four games, 20.73 GSAx in the regular season, and a perfect 4-0 record in Round 1. Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota's 23-year-old starter, isn't far behind at .924 SV% over six games and 7.61 GSAx. What makes this matchup particularly useful from a saves prop perspective: both goalies are generating volume above expectation, meaning their individual saves totals are tracking high even in games where the opposition generates limited Grade-A chances. On a night when Dallas or Minnesota generates 30-plus shot attempts, each goalie is likely to log 28+ saves — the kind of floor that makes saves-line unders dangerous and overs worth a look depending on the number.

For prop bettors, the Andersen-Vladar series is the one to target on goals and team totals. Both goalies are operating at unsustainable peaks — Andersen especially, given his age and the gap between his playoff and regular-season numbers. Carolina has the deeper, more dangerous roster in front of their netminder, and when one of these goalies reverts toward the mean, it's more likely to be Andersen than the red-hot Vladar. The Flyers' team total deserves a close look game-by-game: fade Carolina team totals when Vladar is at his best, and target Flyers team total unders when the Hurricanes' second line starts generating the volume it did against Ottawa. In the Lyon-Dobes series, both goalies trending toward high-save nights makes saves props and team total unders the most actionable positions across the board.