Damn I knew Freddie wasn't having quite as good of a season as he did last year but was still surprised when I just saw that Raanta got the start last night. Then again I also didn't realize Raanta went 19-3-3 this season.
Carolina's team/success feels so weird to me.
Raanta led them in save percentage with just .910, which would be 17th among goalies who played 1/3 of the season. Their star goalie last season went from a .922 Sv% to a .903 Sv% this season. They didn't have a single player even really that close to point per game, with their leading scorer (Necas) finishing 58th in points leaguewide. In a league where centre depth is becoming more and more important they had a 43-point Jesperi Kotkaniemi slotted as their 2C all season. Their top-4 remaining forwards in points from last season: Aho, Svechnikov, Teravainen, and Jarvis, all produced at a lower rate this season. One of their big offseason acquisitions, Max Pacioretty, lasted just 5 games and was never really replaced.
Despite all that they somehow finished 2nd in league standings (while earning just 3 points less than they did last season).