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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…
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