DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 19: Thomas Greiss #29 of the Detroit Red Wings blocks a shot on goal against the Dallas Stars in the second period at American Airlines Center on April 19, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Let’s kick off our grading series by looking at one half of Detroit’s goaltending duo, Thomas Greiss. How does his body of work stack up this season?
2021 Statline:
Record: 8-15-8
Goals Against Average: 2.70
Save Percentage: .912
Shutouts: 2
Preseason Projections
Starting goaltender
2021 Season in a Nutshell
Thomas Greiss had a rollercoaster of a year. For two months early in the season (January 13th to March 13th), Greiss was one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL. His save percentage was the second worst, sitting at .883 in that stretch. Greiss also notched only one victory in that time, with only one win to 11 losses (Although one could argue that goal support was the main reason for such lowly stats).
However, Greiss did a complete 180. In the month of April, his save percentage was .947 – 2nd best in the league among goaltenders with more than 5 starts. He had only one regulation loss in that time.
Greiss went from one of the worst goaltenders in the league to one of the best. His late season push was so impressive that it pushed his stats to Jonathan Bernier‘s level. The end-of-season rush up the standings was due almost entirely to the improved play of Greiss. If he managed to play the first half of the season this strong, it would be an easy A++.
They said it
“Both guys are in a good spot where their games are at and it gives you a ton of confidence that you’re going to get good goaltending.”
-Jeff Blashill via the Detroit News
Final Grade:
Thomas Greiss played lights out in the latter half of the season. During the month of April, his save percentage was .942. He also singlehandedly kept Detroit in a handful of games, notching two shutouts (One of those ending in a shootout loss). However, the first half of the season was quite bad. During the months of January and February, Greiss secured only one victory in 12 games played. In that stretch, his save percentage was .882, third worst among goalies with 10+ starts. But his late push is impressive enough to earn above average marks.