PULL THE
GOALIE
PLAY

WHEN DO NHL TEAMS PULL THE GOALIE?

When each team pulled its goalie in 784 close games of the 2025-26 regular season, what came of it, and which pulls the model calls late.

THE GOALIE PULL REPORT · 2025-26 · LAST UPDATED: GAMES THROUGH APR 16, 2026

2025-26784 GAMES
GAMES WITH A PULL500
DOWN 1, AVG PULL1:54
DOWN 2, AVG PULL3:18
DOWN 3, AVG PULL3:59
EARLIEST PULLPIT 7:39
LATEST PULLWPG 0:08
MODEL: LATE91 OF 194
MODEL: EARLY2 OF 194

Averages over 355 pulls down one, 130 down two and 17 down three: each team's first pull of the third while trailing, by the time left. One pull came down four or more, too few for an average. The earliest: PIT, down three, at VGK on Mar 12, 2026. The latest: WPG, down one, at STL on Dec 17, 2025. By the model, 32 of the 91 late pulls came only a little late (graded FAIR).

PULL TIME BY TEAM

When each team pulled its goalie, down one and down two, how often the pull tied it, and what the model made of the timing. Each team links to its own page, with every game.

32 teams, sorted by the average pull down one, earliest first.

TEAMDOWN LATEPULLEDDOWN 1 AVGDOWN 2 AVGTIED ITLOSTMODEL: EARLYABOUT RIGHTLATE
DAL17142:53 (7)3:51 (5)113040
COL13102:29 (8)-- (0)19011
PIT15142:16 (11)-- (2)414061
TBL22172:14 (13)-- (2)216053
VAN21162:10 (7)3:43 (7)016141
NJD23202:08 (12)3:23 (8)319041
FLA20172:07 (13)-- (4)315031
SJS22152:07 (10)3:06 (5)312043
NYI21182:03 (12)4:16 (6)415101
DET20162:00 (7)3:27 (9)216043
BUF11101:59 (7)-- (2)010002
CAR16141:56 (7)2:48 (7)312032
MTL18161:55 (13)-- (3)412051
NSH21171:53 (14)-- (3)216043
SEA24201:52 (15)-- (4)218064
ANA24201:52 (13)3:10 (7)616042
PHI12111:52 (8)-- (3)211023
OTT18161:51 (11)-- (4)214052
EDM16151:50 (11)-- (3)114005
UTA22181:49 (15)-- (3)018012
BOS15101:49 (8)-- (2)010013
NYR24221:48 (18)-- (4)221064
LAK22161:48 (11)3:16 (5)316023
VGK17121:46 (10)-- (2)310024
MIN15111:45 (6)-- (4)011014
WPG25231:40 (18)2:43 (5)422027
WSH15131:40 (11)-- (2)013025
CBJ25201:39 (18)-- (1)218016
CHI21161:39 (12)-- (3)116016
CGY23201:36 (13)3:10 (6)120043
STL15131:35 (8)3:20 (5)113043
TOR18131:35 (8)-- (4)013002

DOWN LATE: games it trailed at some point in the last five minutes of the third, or pulled while trailing before them. PULLED: games it pulled in. DOWN 1 and DOWN 2 AVG: the average time left at the pull, and how many pulls (a dash under 5). TIED IT: games it got the tying goal after pulling. LOST: games it pulled in and lost, in regulation, overtime or a shootout. MODEL: its verdict on the team's pulls with a call on file.

DOWN ONE, DOWN TWO

What came of each pull, by the score when the goalie came out. In the first table each pull counts once, in the first row that fits it; the second is how the game ended. Down one, 16% of pulls got the tying goal and 44% gave up an empty-netter instead; down two, 4% tied it and 68% gave one up.

AFTER THE PULLDOWN 1 (355)DOWN 2 (130)DOWN 3 (17)
Tied it, six on five57 (16%)4 (3%)0 (0%)
Tied it, goalie back in0 (0%)1 (1%)0 (0%)
Empty-netter against155 (44%)89 (68%)14 (82%)
Scored, still behind0 (0%)13 (10%)0 (0%)
Nothing143 (40%)23 (18%)3 (18%)
HOW IT ENDEDDOWN 1 (355)DOWN 2 (130)DOWN 3 (17)
Won the game32 (9%)2 (2%)0 (0%)
Went to overtime52 (15%)4 (3%)0 (0%)

Six on five: the tying goal went in while their net was empty. Went to overtime: tied at the horn, so overtime or a shootout.

THE WORST-TIMED PULLS, BY THE MODEL

The model's late pulls and early ones, ranked by the win chance the timing gave up: the model's best call against the real pull, each as its game page shows it. 91 of the 194 graded pulls came late (32 of them only a little, graded FAIR), 2 early, 91 about right, and 10 it can't place. Two late or early pulls give up less than a tenth of a point and aren't listed.

THE 10 LATEST OF 2025-26

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1DEC 21 · NYR @ NSHNYR1:36, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:59 LEFT		21.0 / 18.22.8
2OCT 11 · LAK @ WPGLAK1:39, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:57 LEFT		16.4 / 13.82.6
3APR 2 · BOS @ FLABOS1:36, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:03 LEFT		9.8 / 7.42.4
4OCT 16 · NSH @ MTLMTL1:42, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 5:42 LEFT		22.4 / 20.32.1
5DEC 13 · VGK @ CBJCBJ1:08, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:59 LEFT		19.8 / 18.01.8
6DEC 9 · DAL @ WPGWPG1:26, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:30 LEFT		15.9 / 14.31.6
7NOV 15 · WPG @ CGYCGY1:45, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:34 LEFT		15.7 / 14.21.5
8DEC 9 · VGK @ NYIVGK1:20, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:21 LEFT		15.6 / 14.11.5
9NOV 28 · VAN @ SJSVAN1:24, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:43 LEFT		8.0 / 6.61.4
10NOV 15 · TOR @ CHITOR1:24, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:23 LEFT		7.5 / 6.11.4

THE 2 EARLY PULLS OF 2025-26

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1JAN 19 · NYI @ VANVAN1:45, DOWN 1
A RE-PULL		WAIT UNTIL 1:21
WITH 1:51 LEFT		5.7 / 5.30.4
2APR 4 · NYI @ CARNYI1:31, DOWN 1
A RE-PULL		WAIT UNTIL 1:07
WITH 1:37 LEFT		5.0 / 4.90.1

PULLED: the time left and the score at the real pull; A RE-PULL when the call was on a later pull than the team's first. THE MODEL: its best call, and the time left when the call came up. GAP: the model's best win chance less the real pull's, in points.

MONTH BY MONTH

Each month's late pulls (up to 10) and its early ones, ranked the same way, the newest month first. The counts are the pulls listed.

APRIL 2026 · 4 LATE · 1 EARLY

THE 4 LATE PULLS

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1APR 2 · BOS @ FLABOS1:36, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:03 LEFT		9.8 / 7.42.4
2APR 4 · WPG @ CBJCBJ1:27, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 4:51 LEFT		10.4 / 10.00.4
3APR 13 · MIN @ STLMIN3:43, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 7:43 LEFT		4.3 / 3.90.4
4APR 1 · ANA @ SJSANA0:15, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 0:31 LEFT		1.0 / 0.80.2

THE ONLY EARLY PULL

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1APR 4 · NYI @ CARNYI1:31, DOWN 1
A RE-PULL		WAIT UNTIL 1:07
WITH 1:37 LEFT		5.0 / 4.90.1
MARCH 2026 · 14 LATE · 0 EARLY

THE 10 LATEST

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1MAR 3 · VGK @ BUFVGK1:31, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:46 LEFT		8.0 / 6.71.3
2MAR 26 · CBJ @ MTLCBJ1:22, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:23 LEFT		8.3 / 7.01.3
3MAR 10 · NSH @ SEASEA1:54, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:30 LEFT		7.6 / 6.41.2
4MAR 8 · CHI @ DALCHI1:46, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:03 LEFT		21.1 / 20.11.0
5MAR 3 · NSH @ CBJNSH2:11, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:57 LEFT		8.3 / 7.31.0
6MAR 4 · STL @ SEASEA1:44, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:06 LEFT		15.0 / 14.10.9
7MAR 17 · NSH @ WPGWPG1:38, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:58 LEFT		8.3 / 7.40.9
8MAR 29 · CHI @ NJDCHI1:29, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 3:21 LEFT		8.9 / 8.40.5
9MAR 7 · MTL @ LAKLAK1:23, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 4:33 LEFT		10.1 / 9.60.5
10MAR 3 · CHI @ WPGWPG1:27, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:32 LEFT		7.6 / 7.10.5

None came early by the model.

FEBRUARY 2026 · 8 LATE · 0 EARLY

THE 8 LATE PULLS

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1FEB 4 · EDM @ CGYEDM1:25, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:06 LEFT		7.0 / 5.81.2
2FEB 2 · WPG @ DALWPG2:26, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:59 LEFT		8.3 / 7.40.9
3FEB 5 · CAR @ NYRNYR1:40, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 3:40 LEFT		9.4 / 8.80.6
4FEB 26 · CHI @ NSHCHI1:28, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 3:16 LEFT		8.2 / 7.70.5
5FEB 3 · BUF @ TBLTBL1:38, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 5:07 LEFT		10.7 / 10.30.4
6FEB 28 · BOS @ PHIBOS1:59, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:28 LEFT		7.5 / 7.20.3
7FEB 2 · DET @ COLCOL3:08, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 5:33 LEFT		11.2 / 10.90.3
8FEB 26 · CGY @ SJSSJS4:12, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 6:23 LEFT		2.1 / 1.90.2

None came early by the model.

JANUARY 2026 · 11 LATE · 1 EARLY

THE 10 LATEST

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1JAN 20 · NJD @ EDMEDM1:31, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 1:54 LEFT		6.6 / 5.51.1
2JAN 30 · CBJ @ CHICHI1:22, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 5:33 LEFT		22.0 / 21.20.8
3JAN 9 · STL @ UTASTL3:08, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:23 LEFT		5.4 / 4.60.8
4JAN 31 · SEA @ VGKVGK1:51, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:35 LEFT		9.1 / 8.40.7
5JAN 31 · CBJ @ STLSTL1:05, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 3:12 LEFT		8.1 / 7.60.5
6JAN 15 · NYI @ EDMEDM1:40, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:36 LEFT		7.7 / 7.20.5
7JAN 15 · CGY @ CHICHI1:59, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:27 LEFT		10.1 / 9.70.4
8JAN 8 · ANA @ CARANA3:00, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:27 LEFT		1.5 / 1.20.3
9JAN 7 · SJS @ LAKSJS1:54, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:10 LEFT		6.3 / 6.00.3
10JAN 1 · WSH @ OTTWSH2:09, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:22 LEFT		6.7 / 6.50.2

THE ONLY EARLY PULL

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1JAN 19 · NYI @ VANVAN1:45, DOWN 1
A RE-PULL		WAIT UNTIL 1:21
WITH 1:51 LEFT		5.7 / 5.30.4
DECEMBER 2025 · 20 LATE · 0 EARLY

THE 10 LATEST

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1DEC 21 · NYR @ NSHNYR1:36, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:59 LEFT		21.0 / 18.22.8
2DEC 13 · VGK @ CBJCBJ1:08, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:59 LEFT		19.8 / 18.01.8
3DEC 9 · DAL @ WPGWPG1:26, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:30 LEFT		15.9 / 14.31.6
4DEC 9 · VGK @ NYIVGK1:20, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:21 LEFT		15.6 / 14.11.5
5DEC 2 · MIN @ EDMEDM1:39, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:16 LEFT		8.7 / 7.41.3
6DEC 27 · NYR @ NYINYR2:07, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:01 LEFT		18.0 / 16.71.3
7DEC 19 · WPG @ COLWPG1:00, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 1:46 LEFT		6.3 / 5.11.2
8DEC 18 · PHI @ BUFPHI1:51, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:19 LEFT		15.5 / 14.60.9
9DEC 19 · NJD @ UTAUTA2:05, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:08 LEFT		8.6 / 7.90.7
10DEC 14 · PHI @ CARPHI2:18, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:01 LEFT		8.4 / 7.80.6

None came early by the model.

NOVEMBER 2025 · 20 LATE · 0 EARLY

THE 10 LATEST

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1NOV 15 · WPG @ CGYCGY1:45, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:34 LEFT		15.7 / 14.21.5
2NOV 28 · VAN @ SJSVAN1:24, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:43 LEFT		8.0 / 6.61.4
3NOV 15 · TOR @ CHITOR1:24, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:23 LEFT		7.5 / 6.11.4
4NOV 29 · DET @ BOSDET2:43, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:40 LEFT		15.5 / 14.31.2
5NOV 8 · DAL @ NSHNSH1:58, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:37 LEFT		20.0 / 18.91.1
6NOV 16 · NYI @ COLNYI2:09, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:44 LEFT		15.4 / 14.31.1
7NOV 26 · WPG @ WSHWPG1:41, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:16 LEFT		7.3 / 6.31.0
8NOV 9 · SEA @ DALSEA1:47, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:25 LEFT		7.5 / 6.60.9
9NOV 8 · CBJ @ VANCBJ2:11, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:46 LEFT		17.0 / 16.10.9
10NOV 11 · WSH @ CARCAR2:05, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:22 LEFT		4.3 / 3.40.9

None came early by the model.

OCTOBER 2025 · 12 LATE · 0 EARLY

THE 10 LATEST

#GAMETEAMPULLEDTHE MODELWIN %: MODEL / REALGAP
1OCT 11 · LAK @ WPGLAK1:39, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:57 LEFT		16.4 / 13.82.6
2OCT 16 · NSH @ MTLMTL1:42, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 5:42 LEFT		22.4 / 20.32.1
3OCT 25 · EDM @ SEAEDM1:39, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 3:11 LEFT		8.6 / 7.31.3
4OCT 9 · CBJ @ NSHCBJ1:12, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 1:43 LEFT		6.1 / 4.91.2
5OCT 30 · PIT @ MINMIN2:53, DOWN 2PULL HIM NOW
WITH 7:13 LEFT		6.7 / 5.61.1
6OCT 9 · VGK @ SJSVGK2:22, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 4:40 LEFT		20.4 / 19.41.0
7OCT 9 · PHI @ FLAPHI0:26, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 0:58 LEFT		1.5 / 1.00.5
8OCT 28 · WSH @ DALWSH1:39, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:41 LEFT		7.8 / 7.40.4
9OCT 31 · NYI @ WSHWSH1:29, DOWN 1AT THE NEXT WHISTLE
WITH 4:50 LEFT		10.9 / 10.50.4
10OCT 16 · PIT @ LAKLAK1:38, DOWN 1PULL HIM NOW
WITH 2:45 LEFT		7.9 / 7.50.4

None came early by the model.

HOW IT'S COUNTED

Everything here is counted from the third periods in the Gauntlet's pool: the 784 games of the 2025-26 regular season that went into the third within a goal, through Apr 16, 2026. That is not every game of the season, and nothing before the third is counted.

A pull is a team's first pull of the third for an extra attacker while it trailed, timed by the time left when the goalie went to the bench. If he came back for a faceoff and went out again, that is still one pull. Down one or down two is the score at that moment. There are 503 of them. An average needs 5 pulls; with fewer, the table shows the count and a dash.

The model's time comes from the game. When the bench you coach in the Gauntlet pulled, the game asks you when he comes out: now, at the next whistle, or wait until a set time. The win-probability model gives each choice a chance to win, and gives one to the real pull too. The best choice is the model's time. A pull graded GOOD CALL is about right; otherwise it came early or late, by where it fell against the best choice. The call is on the pull the game graded: usually the team's first, sometimes a later one after the goalie went back in, which the lists mark A RE-PULL. 194 of the 245 pulls by those benches carry a call. Of those, 10 can't be placed: the best choice was the next whistle, and the real pull came on the fly before the wait time. Each game's page shows its call in full.

Why teams should pull earlier than they used to, and what changes the answer: when to pull the goalie. For your own game's score, clock and strength: the when-to-pull calculator.

QUOTE IT

In the 784 games of the 2025-26 NHL regular season that went into the third period within a goal, teams down one pulled the goalie with 1:54 left on average, and teams down two with 3:18 left. By the Pull the Goalie model, 91 of the 194 pulls it graded came late (32 of them only a little) and 2 came early.

Source: The Goalie Pull Report, Pull the Goalie.

PLAY THE GAUNTLET

Coach these thirds yourself: the Gauntlet draws them at random, and the pull is your call.