Nine games usually isn’t enough to warrant a full report card, but for Keith Kinkaid, his 9 games represented 16% of the season, and that does warrant a report card. Kinkaid was signed as the third string goalie and, let’s be frank, expansion draft fodder. There’s nothing wrong with that, but keeping expectations within reason was key for Kinkaid. He likely wasn’t going to get as many games as he did, but injuries forced him into a more regular role.
In those nine games, Kinkaid posted a .898 SV% and a 2.59 GAA with one shutout. He made his mark, though, with his run of four games from March 11-20, where he put up a .933 SV%, a shutout, and close to 100 straight minutes of shutout hockey. That’s not too shabby for a third stringer. However as the season progressed and he got a few more games, the numbers came back down to planet Earth.
Still a third stringer
Kinkaid was the third best goalie on the team, and I don’t think anyone will dispute that. There were times where we wanted Kinkaid to get the start over a very streaky and struggling Alex Georgiev, but those calls were mostly based on that March 11-20 stretch.
Like Georgiev, Kinkaid was mostly boosted by his play on the penalty kill. His even strength numbers were pretty atrocious. This is definitely an interesting trend with the backups. We know that the Rangers played differently in front of Henrik Lundqvist –-fronting instead of putting a body between the man in front and the goalie— but that wasn’t the case this year. It’s something to watch for next year, as this could have been system driven at evens.
Final Grade
Kinkaid did way more than expected for the Rangers, and that’s a good thing. He’s likely not a viable backup for a full season, but he was certainly worth way more than his contract this season. Ideally he’s still the third string goalie who gets a spot start here and there.
Plus, he gave us the emoji recaps.
Keith Kinkaid 2021 Report Card Grade: B+
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