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HARTFORD, Conn. − Dylan Garand came into his third full professional season with a clear goal in mind.
Take the success he’s had in the AHL playoffs and find a way to replicate it consistently in the regular season.
“I feel like learning from the past playoff experience, when I have been really good, I’ve just been focused on winning and competing really hard,” Garand explained following Tuesday’s practice at XL Center. “I’m a really competitive guy, so carry that into the regular season is what I’ve been trying to do.”
That simplistic approach is working in a big way.
The Rangers’ top goalie prospect has registered a combined .927 save percentage with a 2.21 goals against average across 17 career postseason starts, but he had failed to post a regular-season SV% above .898.
Until now.
Garand has gone 12-7-4 with a .913 SV% and 2.68 GAA so far this season, but even those numbers don’t tell the whole story. He caught fire in December, when he was named the AHL’s goalie of the month, and stayed hot well into the new year.
During a nine-start stretch from Dec. 4 through Jan. 12, Garand went 6-3 with an eye-popping .953 SV%. He allowed one goal or fewer in five of those appearances while posting a pair of shutouts.
“I just felt like I was in the zone,” he said. “(The game) is a little slower. You’re seeing it a little better, and you’re just feeling good every day. I mean, even when you’re not feeling good coming to the rink every day – your body or your mind, if you’re tired – but as soon as you get on the ice, a switch flicks, and you’re just in the zone. It’s a really cool feeling.”
That earned the 22-year-old Victoria, B.C. native a trip to the AHL all-star game earlier this month and garnered attention among scouts who increasingly believe he’ll carve out an NHL role, whether it’s as a backup or starter.
He’s cooled off in his last three starts, allowing five goals or more in each while facing a high volume of shots for the slumping Wolf Pack, but the overall body of work has been impressive.
“I’ve been working really, really hard,” Garand said. “I feel like it’s kind of paying off now.”
Work ethic has never been in question for the 2020 fourth-round draft pick, who has gained a reputation for his meticulous pregame routines and cerebral approach to preparation.
First-year head coach Grant Potulny has seen that translate in how Garand reads plays and anticipates saves.
“He’s such a smart goalie, and I think that really helps him,” Potulny said. “If there’s a rush coming, he can identify that, ‘The puck’s over here, but that guy’s a lefty, and that could be a one-timer, so I’ve got to know that guy’s there.’ The other thing that he’s done, for me, is that the pucks that are hitting him, they’re either being smothered or they’re going to areas that are not dangerous. He’s not allowing a lot of second-chance opportunities, so he’s made the game easier for himself.”
Potulny also raved about his puck-handling skills, which he believes prevents “five or six shots (per game) because you can make a play from behind the net to get the puck up to the next play.”
That polished all-around game makes up for Garand being smaller than many goalies in today’s game at 6-foot-1, 176 pounds. It also puts him on the precipice of an NHL debut.
“I want to play in the NHL more than anything in the world,” Garand said. “You get a little taste, and it just motivates you to work even harder. But I’m here right now, focused on what we need to do here as a team and winning some hockey games.”
He’s been recalled a few times to serve in a backup role, most recently on Saturday due to an injury to Rangers starter Igor Shesterkin. He said those quick stints can feel like a blur, but noted he’s in constant communication with New York goalie coach Jeff Malcolm, who watches all of Garand’s starts and frequently texts his feedback.
He’s also found himself gravitating to esteemed veteran Jonathan Quick whenever he gets the chance, with the newest member of the NHL’s 400-win club embracing the mentor role.
“Of all the guys on the team, Quickie has been great,” Garand said. “He’ll come up and talk to me and just chat about anything. When you don’t really know guys, you don’t want to step on their toes or get in their way or anything. But he’s a guy that I feel like I can approach at any time, and he’s there for me. He’s a stud of a guy, and really fun to work with and be a part of when I am there.”
The presence of Shesterkin and Quick means that, barring injury, Garand’s path to the Rangers is blocked for the time being. But with Quick turning 39 last month and playing on a one-year contract, a strong finish could convince management that Garand is ready to assume the backup job next season. It’s also possible that another team sees him as more than a No. 2 and pursues a trade that could help the Blueshirts in other areas.
However it plays out, there’s no denying that Garand’s stock is on the rise and his chance to showcase his blossoming skills at the highest level is approaching.
“When you’re sitting at home, you kind of ponder what it’s going be like,” he said. “It’s one thing to play in the NHL, and it’s another thing to win in the NHL. I want to win in the NHL. That’s my goal, and that’s what I’m here in Hartford to do, is to develop and get better and be ready for that opportunity when it comes. There’s a lot of things out of my control. But when that time comes, I feel like I’m ready.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.