Goalie Start 'Em, Sit 'Em ft. Hellebuyck and the Final Night of the Regular Season

Start ‘Em! Start all of them. We have officially arrived at the last day of the NHL regular season, so what is there left to really lose? Whether your fantasy season ended with glory or melancholy, chances are it has already come to a close. But for those of you in ROTO leagues or one of the few, bizarre leagues that continues on until the final puck drop (and I am, admittedly, a participant in one such league) - then, well, there may yet be a championship on the line for you. And so, for one last time, on this 6 game mincro-slate, let’s crunch the numbers, identify the streaks, check our guts, and let’s dive right in to Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em!

(Please note that the goalies listed are considered “probable” to start. Keep refreshing your Goalie Post app to see which goalies are “confirmed” starting. Don’t have the app? Get it for Apple or Android.)

START ‘EM

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets - It’s been too long since we talked about the reigning MVP, Connor Hellebuyck, and his Winnipeg Jets (who have finally been eliminated from playoff contention), but Thursday’s final matchup with the Sharks looks like a great game for them to end their season on. These teams have danced twice already in San Jose, where the Sharks won both contests, but Hellebuyck looked sharp in both, turning aside 57 of the 61 shots he faced. The American Gold medalist has gotten trounced in his last two starts, getting pummeled for 11 goals in two losses to playoff teams jockeying for positioning, but this goalie is too good to end his season like that. Expect a bounce back performance from last year’s Vezina trophy winner as the NHL’s best goalie, keep this keeper between the pipes and Start ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Vitek Vanecek, Utah Mammoth - With the Mammoth’s playoff spot locked into the Wild Card 1, expect Vanecek to make the start for a team that will be resting players and have their eyes and minds focused on what comes next. Vanecek, even with a full roster in front of him, has coughed up 10 goals over his last 2 starts (both losses) and has a shaky .883 SV% on the season. His opponent on Thursday, the St. Louis Blues, have been one of the hottest teams in the league lately, running 8-3-1 in their last dozen games while netting nearly 4 goals a night (3.75 GF/G) over that stretch. And, in contrast to the Mammoth, who will be resting their stars, the Blues roster is full of young talented players that have been thriving down the last leg of the season, free of pressure as their playoff destiny was (essentially) decided long ago. Don’t try to get cute on the last game of the season, keep it simple and Sit ‘Em!

DESPERATION MODE START

Connor Ingram, Edmonton Oilers - The Canucks have won 3 straight and as funny as it might be for the Oilers to lose on home ice to Tolopilo and the last place Vancouver Canucks, this matchup looks like a pretty safe bet for Ingram to continue his solid stretch of play. The 29 year old Canadien enters this contest red-hot, as he has only allowed 1 goal in each of his last two contests, but has 0 wins to show for it (come on Oilers’ forwards!). We can look for the Oilers to really step it up for this one, as their playoff fortunes still depend on the last night of the season, where it looks like they can still finish anywhere from the last Wild Card spot (playing on the road against Colorado) to second place in the Pacific Division (hosting either L.A. or Anaheim). At just 30% rostered in Fantrax and 26% rostered in Yahoo, there is a good chance Ingram is available on this final evening of regular season play. If you are still out there playing fantasy hockey then just go ahead and grab this guy and give him the start. I know I will be. Desperation Mode Start ‘Em!

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading! My name is Garrett Finlay and you can follow me on X @garrett_fi51284 and on Bluesky @garrettfinlay.bsky.social where I am often talking goalies and fantasy hockey. I’ll be back here next Thursday to breakdown another busy night of twine tending action! Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!