Philipp Grubauer's trademark cool is precisely what will guide him to success

When longtime Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov left in free agency for the New York Islanders, the job of starting goaltender shifted firmly to Philipp Grubauer.

This is the shot Grubauer wanted.

Last year after coming over from the Washington Capitals, he had to contend with the final year of Varlamov’s tenure in Colorado before winning the job late in the season and making it easy for the Avalanche to move on from him.

Going into his first season as the clear-cut starter should be at least a little bit different, right?

Apparently not.

“It doesn’t feel any different than last year,” Grubauer calmly stated when meeting with the media on Thursday morning. “It’s the same approach as last year. Fight for your ice time, nothing is handed to you; you’ve got to earn it.”

The German netminder’s first season with the Avs was looking to be a disappointing one as he struggled with consistency for most of the season and could not get into a groove in net. It wasn’t until a late February shutout of the Nashville Predators that Grubauer really hit his stride for the Avalanche.

From that point on, he started 11 more games down the stretch to vault the Avs into the playoffs, with his single-game save percentage never dipping below .909. He started every game in the playoffs and was a key component in their first round upset of the Calgary Flames.

If there’s one thing Grubauer really needs to focus on this season as the undisputed number one goaltender, it’s consistency, something his coach emphasized that on the eve of training camp.

“He was outstanding down the stretch and into the playoffs,” head coach Jared Bednar said on Thursday. “That’s where his ability lies for me. We’d like to see him play start to finish.”

One of just a handful of Avalanche players with a Stanley Cup Championship under his belt, Grubauer knows what it takes to win, and understands that everyone has to pull their own weight.

“Looking back at the playoffs last year, we need a little bit more out of every line, not just a couple of guys,” Grubauer said when asked what the Avs need to take the next step. “Everything needs to work together in order to win. Last year, we came close, but we still have to figure out a lot of stuff.”

On the second year of his three year contract with the Avalanche, Grubauer heads into the season as the only goaltender in the organization with significant NHL experience. His backup, Pavel Francouz, who Grubauer referred to as an “awesome guy”, only has two NHL relief appearances under his belt.

The Avs are as deep as they’ve been in years upfront and on the blue line, and a lot of what they plan to do rides on Grubauer continuing his great play from down the stretch.

“Now, to me, he is more of a proven guy,” Bednar said. “I have more trust in Grubi now because he’s done it for us down the stretch and in the playoffs. We’re hoping he feels more comfortable now in his surroundings and with his teammates, and gets off to a better start.”

The Avalanche are hopeful the early-season boos from last year when Grubauer started are replaced by the chants of “Gruuu” that filled the Pepsi Center during the postseason.

With expectations on the rise in Denver, the pressure is on the players to perform. One look at the unflappable Grubauer shows you he’s ready to handle it.