Written by Todd Cordell, who can be found on twitter @ToddCordell.
Goal scoring is down in the NHL, and the biggest beneficiaries of that are goaltenders.
With the amount of goals being scored down, more goaltenders are posting high-end numbers. While one goaltender has still been able to separate himself from the pack, there are more goaltenders in the conversation for a Vezina nomination than in years past.
Let’s take a look at my top-5 candidates.
Note: numbers via war-on-ice.com and stats.hockeyanalysis.com.
Devan Dubnyk
Dubnyk entered the season looking to redeem himself after a terrible 2013-14 campaign and re-establish himself as an NHL goaltender, and boy did he ever.
After starting the season in Arizona, and going 9-5-2 while posting a respectable .916SV% on a dreadful Coyotes team, Dubnyk was shipped off to Minnesota to help out a team in desperate need of anything resembling average goaltending.
Dubnyk has given the Wild that and much more, as he has posted a 27-9-2 record, a .936SV%, and a 1.78 goals against average while almost singlehandedly getting the Wild into the playoffs.
In 58 appearances this season Dubnyk has tallied 36 wins while recording a .929SV% (2nd in the NHL) and registering six shutouts.
He won’t win the Vezina, but he has certainly put himself in the conversation.
Steve Mason
Mason doesn’t seem to be getting the recognition he deserves, but he has quietly had an outstanding season for the Philadelphia Flyers.
While it won’t show up in his record (18-18-11) Mason has been incredible this season, and has been as important of a player as any for that team.
In 51 appearances Mason posted a very impressive .928SV% and a league-best .944SV% at even-strength. Considering the Flyers defense is a mess and the team as a whole is less than spectacular, those numbers are very impressive.
Mason may not be a finalist for the Vezina, but if that’s the case it won’t be because he wasn’t good enough.
Carey Price
This year’s Vezina trophy is undoubtedly Price’s.
He led all goalies in wins (44), save percentage (.933), goals against average (1.96) and came 2nd in shutouts with nine.
He actually didn’t get a lot of goal support in Montreal – no playoff team scored less than them in the regular season – and the Habs were outshot pretty regularly throughout the season, so Price had to be on his game on a nightly basis.
He certainly was, as evident by those out of this world numbers, and is more than deserving of his inevitable Vezina trophy victory.
Pekka Rinne
The Nashville Predators were the talk of the league this season and their great success has been a surprise to many.
Arguably the biggest reason for Nashville’s turnaround season has been the play of Pekka Rinne, who finds himself near the top of the league in every major goaltending category.
Rinne won 41 games in just 64 appearances, and recorded eight shutouts in the process while posting a .923SV%, and a .937SV% during 5 vs 5 play.
He faltered a little bit down the stretch – he allowed 3+ goals in his final five games – but overall he still had an excellent season.
Cory Schneider
Cory Schneider was the best player on the Devils this season, and it wasn’t even close.
He had next to no goal support – only Buffalo and Arizona scored fewer goals than New Jersey – and was left hung out to dry on many nights, yet he still posted numbers that could put him in the conversation for a Vezina nomination.
Schneider appeared in 69 games – the 4th highest total among goaltenders – and registered a .925SV% (.934SV% at full strength) despite being peppered on a nightly basis and facing the 3rd highest total of high-dangers shots (numbers via war-on-ice.com) in the NHL.
Schneider has no shot of winning the Vezina – he likely won’t even be a finalist for the award – but without him the Devils, who finished 6th last, would have likely been in contention for the top pick in this year’s draft.
Comparisons
My Ballot
1. Carey Price
2. Devan Dubnyk
3. Steve Mason
4. Cory Schneider
5. Pekka Rinne
Devan Dubnyk
Steve Mason
Carey Price
Cory Schneider
Pekka Rinne