Penn State men’s hockey has been an offensive machine through the first half of the season. It sits fifth in the nation in total goals with 79 and leads Division I in shots with a ridiculous 808. When outside of the offensive zone, though, the team struggles. It’s put a damper on the Nittany Lions’ electrifying onslaught, allowing opponents to compete in games that Penn State otherwise dominates and has contributed to sour results at the final buzzer.

Penn State is 53rd out of 60 in the NCAA at combined goals against average with 3.45 per game. Per head coach Guy Gadowsky, the side has the “lowest save percentage in the nation.”

Taking a look at PairWise rankings, the Nittany Lions are hovering at the playoff bubble in 17th place. Sixteen make the NCAA Tournament at season’s end. Gadowsky, a coach who’s rarely, if ever, called out his goalkeepers, told the media that the group needed to step up to aid the playoff push.

“Look at the way the team is playing… they’re able to pull out games,” Gadowsky said. “You maintain that and then get good goaltending instead of worst in the nation goaltending, and you could have something.”

Of 83 Division I players with at least a third of total team minutes played, both Nittany Lion goaltenders are bottom 10 in the save percentage column. Currently, Noah Grannan is edging out Liam Souliere with an .885 mark to the veteran’s .855 clip. However, the senior stopper holds a top-20 win record with a campaign percentage of 62.5% on his 7-4-1 tally. Grannan has had to take the brunt of hot opposing offensives, managing to stay at 50% on a 3-3-2 record, good enough to tie for 39th.

Both players have proven themselves to be stalwart shot-stoppers in the past. Last season, the tandem was top-20 in Division I en route to Penn State’s deep playoff run. The skaters around them in the defensive end have also shown impressive growth and an ability to lock opponents out of shooting lanes for extended periods of play.

“They’ve been awesome all year compared to where they were at the start last year, so you can argue their defense has been better,” Gadowsky said.

Statistically, the unit allows four shots less a game compared to the 2022-23 season. The only part of the system that has changed from year to year is the quality of chances afforded to the opponent. So what’s going wrong?

It’s a qualitative problem, so it’s hard to point fingers. While consistently dominating shot differential and playing otherwise rock-solid defense, Penn State has consistently allowed opponents easy slot shots and a bevy of odd-man rushes throughout the game. It could be unlucky rebound control or clearance mistakes putting the puck in dangerous areas, aggressive positioning not providing enough cover in central ice, or just a run of poor form for the goalies.

For Gadowsky, there are two ways to think about the goalie position. Goaltenders can stop pucks from going in the net or make up for the mistakes of the rest of the team.

Every team gives up rushes. Every team gives up shot opportunities. Elite goalies bail their team out.

Souliere and Grannan have been superheroes throughout their time at Penn State. They led the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2018 together, making those bailout saves and anchoring the side through rough runs of offensive drought. When using Souliere’s .917 save percentage last year and using it against opponent shot totals from games this season, the AIC game goes from a loss to a win, the Notre Dame tilt goes Penn State’s way, and the Michigan and Wisconsin matchups are sent to overtime. That’s the difference between the good and the elite in college hockey.

Gadowsky said the goalies can produce these results, they just need to get to a mental presence to contribute as best they can. Penn State’s goalkeeping room has the skills to make a playoff push a reality, it just needs to find the confidence to climb up the rankings.