To read an NHL goalie line, start with what each stat measures: save percentage (SV%) is the share of shots stopped, goals-against average (GAA) is goals allowed per 60 minutes, and a quality start is a source-defined count of starts that clear a save-percentage threshold. They are different views of performance, so compare them only across the same competition and time span—and check workload and the definition behind each number.
What does save percentage mean?
Save percentage is saves divided by shots faced, according to the NHL glossary. It expresses the portion of faced shots the goalie stopped. For example, .900 corresponds arithmetically to 90 saves per 100 shots faced; it is an illustration of the formula, not a league average or a performance benchmark.
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The NHL glossary defines a shot on goal as a shot, tip, or deflection that enters the net or would have entered had the goaltender not stopped it. SV% therefore refers to the shots counted as shots on goal, not every attempt directed toward the net.
How is goals-against average calculated?
The NHL formula is goals allowed × 60 ÷ minutes played. GAA represents goals allowed per 60 minutes over the measured span. A lower GAA means fewer goals were allowed per 60 minutes in that span, but the figure alone does not explain the circumstances behind those goals.
What is a quality start in hockey?
“Quality start” needs a definition attached to it. NHL EDGE coverage of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs uses the term for a start with greater than .900 save percentage; its quality-start percentage is the proportion of starts that meet that threshold. See NHL EDGE’s playoff coverage for that usage.
That is a source-specific definition, not a universal standard established across hockey analytics. When reading a quality-start total or percentage from another provider, check its methodology rather than assuming it uses the same threshold.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you compare goalie stats?
- Match the measure to the question. SV% is the share of shots stopped; GAA is goals allowed per 60 minutes; quality starts count starts meeting the source’s stated threshold.
- Match the time span. Compare regular-season figures with regular-season figures, or playoff figures with playoff figures, and use the same date range. NHL coverage reports regular-season and postseason statistics separately.
- Check workload. Games played, starts, and minutes help show how much opportunity each stat summarizes. NHL record tables and NHL EDGE comparisons sometimes apply minimum-game qualifiers, so check the criteria on a leaderboard before comparing its ranked entries. The NHL regular-season goaltender records, for example, list category-specific minimum games.
- Keep the definition with the number. For quality starts in particular, identify the provider and threshold; figures built on different definitions are not directly interchangeable.
These statistics describe outcomes over a defined sample. None, by itself, isolates goalie skill from every other factor that can shape goals allowed or shots faced.
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