Despite numbers, Knights goalie turning corner with timely saves

There’s a thought in hockey that skaters need one goal to get them going.

The floodgates seem to open once the puck hits the back of the net. The dam is broken, and the forward or defenseman starts to feel good about his game.

Goalies don’t get that kind of leeway. They have to stop the puck for 60 minutes. Make one save, then get ready to make the next one.

But there’s a belief that a string of saves can settle a goalie down when things aren’t going his way.

Adin Hill’s start to the season describes that thought process perfectly.

“When you start the game, it’s always nice to get a couple of shots early. Just to get a feel for it, get into the game,” Hill said. “There’s other games where you don’t get your first shot 10 minutes in, you’re sitting there like a waiting duck.”

Things haven’t gone as planned for the Golden Knights’ No. 1 netminder. He’s 6-2-1 in nine starts — the six wins are tied for fourth-most in the league.

The numbers should go with the wins, but they haven’t.

Of the 14 goaltenders with at least six wins, Hill’s .881 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average are ahead of only Utah’s Connor Ingram (.879, 3.40).

But ask any Knights player, and they’ll vouch that Hill isn’t the reason for those numbers. He’s been on the hook for three goals allowed or more in seven of his nine starts. Of the 28 goals given up, there aren’t many that can be labeled his fault.

‘A little more controlled’

That won’t keep Hill from being hard on himself. He has always put the onus on himself to make the necessary saves. He said his patience and ability to read the play have gotten better as of late.

“I feel like I’ve done a better job at being patient, not trying to do too much and just be a little more controlled,” Hill said.

Hill has found himself at the forefront of some saves that have quieted any outside noise about his struggles.

There were the consecutive saves on Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov on Oct. 17, when Hill was seated and denied the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner twice with his glove.

That effort was ultimately for nothing thanks to a late Lightning rally that turned a 3-2 lead into a 4-3 loss.

Then came Wednesday early in the third period with the Knights down 2-1 to the Edmonton Oilers. Hill lunged from left to right after the puck found forward Viktor Arvidsson alone at the left circle to make a diving save and keep it a one-goal game.

That save helped the Knights complete the comeback with three goals in the final 10 minutes for a 4-2 win.

There was nothing special Hill did in that moment, he said. It was all just a reaction. But it was a moment that helped deliver the Knights their first road win of the season.

“That second spin pass happened, I looked to see the guy there, and I just tried to get a piece of it,” Hill said.

‘Got to keep working’

It’s those saves that are reminiscent of what Hill did during the Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup two seasons ago. It’s those moments that show why the Knights trusted him to be the No. 1 option going into this season.

Coach Bruce Cassidy agrees with the idea that goalies need that push of a moment or two to settle into a groove. He thinks that’s what’s happened with Hill as of late.

“To me, goalies are so much about technique nowadays, just being in the right spot,” Cassidy said. “He just looks more comfortable in there, and that probably has something to do with it.”

Hill will gladly take more reps to build on his play. He’ll likely get the start Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes, but could see a day off this week — whether Wednesday in Anaheim or Friday in Utah — with Ilya Samsonov (soreness) returning to practice Sunday after missing the past three games.

The numbers, right now, won’t reflect that Hill thinks he’s starting to get into form. The next time he makes a highlight-reel save, it’ll serve as a subtle reminder.

“I’m feeling good about my game,” Hill said. “Just got to keep working.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.