GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Why can NHL shots, save percentage and goals-against average describe different goalie records?
The NHL glossary defines a shot on goal by whether the puck enters the net or would have entered without the goaltender’s stop. Save percentage is saves divided by shots faced; goals-against average is goals allowed multiplied by 60 and divided by minutes played. Their denominators answer different questions.
For Hockey readers and bettors interpreting NHL scoring and statistics · Updated
Start with the NHL shot-on-goal definition
The glossary says an attacking player’s shot, tip, or deflection is a shot on goal if it enters the net or would have gone in had the goaltender not stopped it. A puck that sails wide does not meet that stated condition. This is the page’s definition, not a broader guide to every shot-attempt category.
Because the save-percentage formula uses shots faced, first establish the shot count for the same scope as the saves. Do not substitute every attempted shot for the glossary’s shot-on-goal concept.
Save percentage is based on shots faced
The formula is saves divided by shots faced. It is not saves divided by minutes or goals allowed. If the source of the count does not provide a complete shots-faced total for the same sample, the percentage cannot be checked from saves alone.
The result describes the relationship between saves and shots faced in the stated sample. It is not a probability of future success, a forecast, or a complete judgment of goalie performance.
Goals-against average is normalized to 60 minutes
The glossary gives goals-against average as goals allowed multiplied by 60, divided by minutes played. Multiplying by 60 puts the result on a per-60-minute basis, so a segment shorter than 60 minutes can produce a GAA larger than its raw goals allowed.
The page does not describe every provider’s treatment of empty-net goals, shootouts, or attribution. The example therefore stipulates those edges out and shows only the listed formula.
Keep the counts within one stated segment
A meaningful comparison needs one consistent goalie, one defined time window, and complete counts for shots faced, saves, goals allowed, and minutes played. Do not combine a season save total with minutes from one appearance or a different provider’s shot count.
The NHL glossary is checked here as displayed on 2026-10-15; it shows no publication date or version. The example is arithmetic under its definitions, not a current player line or a claim that a particular BSD or provider feed exposes these metrics.
One fictional 45-minute goalie segment
Assume one fictional goalie plays exactly 45 minutes, faces 28 shots on goal under the NHL glossary definition, makes 25 saves, and allows three goals. Assume all three goals are included in this hypothetical goals-allowed count; no empty-net goals or shootout attempts are included. Save percentage is 25 ÷ 28 = 0.892857..., shown as 0.893 or 89.3% after rounding. Goals-against average is 3 × 60 ÷ 45 = 4.00. The sample is one invented segment, not a season, provider record, live player line, or forecast.
Related questions
Does save percentage divide saves by goals allowed?
No. The NHL glossary says to divide saves by shots faced. Goals allowed are used in the separate goals-against-average formula.
Why can GAA be greater than the goals allowed in a short appearance?
The NHL formula multiplies goals allowed by 60 and divides by minutes played. A segment shorter than 60 minutes is normalized to a per-60-minute basis.