Goalie stats
NHL Goalie Games Started Leaders: Washington Capitals
2020-21All situationsThrough 56 team games
Vitek Vanecek (WSH) leads NHL goalies with 36 games started for the Washington Capitals in 2020-21, ahead of 
Ilya Samsonov (WSH) (18).
Leaders: Games Started, Washington Capitals, 2020-21
- 1stVitek VanecekWSH · 37 GP36
- 2ndIlya SamsonovWSH · 19 GP18
3rdCraig AndersonWSH · 4 GP2
The full ranked table, with filters, follows.
What Games Started measures
This board ranks NHL goalies by games started, regular season only. Pick any season back to 2017-18 above the table. Games the goalie started, regular season.
Starts follow the depth chart and health more than form, so they carry over well within a season.
Games started counts the games a goalie began in net. Workhorse starters reach 60 or more; most teams now split the net closer to 55-27. Starts are opportunity: every win, save and shutout needs one. Watch for timeshares forming early in the season. In 2020-21, 3 goalies qualify for this board; the median is 18 and Vitek Vanecek leads at 36.
Games Started leaderboard
| # | Goalie | Team | GS | GP | W | SV% | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitek VanecekWSH | WSH | 36 | 37 | 21 | 0.908 | 2.69 | 0.1%▼3.1 |
| 2 | Ilya SamsonovWSH | WSH | 18 | 19 | 13 | 0.902 | 2.69 | 0.1% |
| 3 | Craig AndersonWSH | WSH | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0.915 | 2.13 | — |
Frequently asked questions
Who leads the NHL in Games Started in 2020-21?
Vitek Vanecek leads with 36. The median of the 3 qualified goalies is 18.
How is Games Started calculated?
Games the goalie started, regular season. Regular season only, from the NHL's official game data.
How reliable is Games Started?
Starts follow the depth chart and health more than form, so they carry over well within a season.