What Save Percentage Can—and Cannot—Tell You
Save percentage records one part of a game. It is useful context for a development journal, not a grade for a child.
The save percentage formula
Save percentage (written SV% or SVS%) is the share of shots on goal that the goalie stops:
And because every shot on goal is either a save or a goal, you can also write it as:
Fictional example. A goalie faces 30 shots and lets in 2 goals.
Saves = 30 − 2 = 28
SV% = 28 ÷ 30 = 0.9333… → rounded to three decimal places and written .933
How save percentage is written
Hockey uses three decimal places and drops the leading zero: a .900 goalie stopped 90% of shots; a .925 goalie stopped 92.5%. A perfect game is 1.000. If a goalie hasn't faced a shot yet, save percentage is undefined (you'll often see it shown as "---").
What counts toward save percentage
To keep SV% fair to the goalie, two things are normally excluded:
- Empty-net goals — the goalie wasn't in the net, so it shouldn't count against them.
- Shootout attempts — the shootout is a separate skills competition and is tracked on its own, not blended into regulation save percentage.
Shots that hit the post or miss the net are not "shots on goal," so they don't count either — only shots that would have gone in if not stopped.
What the number does not contain
- Shot quality or whether the chance was screened, tipped, or a breakaway.
- Defensive breakdowns, rebounds, or the level of play.
- Technique, decision-making, confidence, effort, or development over time.
- Shots that were missed, blocked before reaching the net, or recorded incorrectly.
Why one game's save percentage needs context
Save percentage is noisy in small samples. A couple of 2-on-0 breakaways your defense gave up can tank a great performance; an easy night can inflate a mediocre one. That's why coaches look at SV% across many games and alongside context like shot volume and location — not as a report card for one night.
Frequently asked questions
Is save percentage the same as save %?
Yes — "SV%," "save %," and "save percentage" all mean the same stat.
What's the difference between SV% and GAA?
Save percentage measures the share of shots stopped; goals-against average (GAA) measures goals allowed per full game. SV% is usually fairer to the goalie because it accounts for how many shots they faced. Read our GAA guide →
Do rebounds or screened shots count?
Any shot on goal that beats the goalie is a goal against; any shot on goal they stop is a save. How it happened doesn't change the math — though tracking where shots went (a shot map) tells you a lot more than the raw number.
Track the number with its context
PuckStop calculates save percentage as you record saves and goals. Tap a goalie zone for a located save or use optional Quick Save; shootouts and empty-net goals stay separate automatically, exactly as described here.