Bishop, Lehner and Vasilevskiy are finalists for the Vezina – who wins and who was snubbed?

In the case of the Vezina Trophy, there’s one query that’s requested extra typically than others: how a lot do wins matter? And prepare to listen to that mentioned loads within the lead as much as the NHL’s end-of-season awards present.
On Saturday, the NHL introduced that the Dallas Stars’ Ben Bishop, New York Islanders’ Robin Lehner and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy had completed top-three in Vezina voting, and it’s certain to result in some dialogue in regards to the worth of wins. You see, whereas a good variety of these within the media have carried out away with wins as crucial statistic amongst goaltenders, it’s develop into evident in recent times that the win column stays a preferred one among the many GMs who vote for the award.
So, whereas there’s no motive to recommend Vasilevskiy isn’t deserving of his nod – and he earned his spot, of that there must be no query – it might prove that in an awfully shut Vezina race, it’s wins that make the distinction.
Right here’s a take a look at the highest three in Vezina voting:
THE CASE FOR BISHOPThere’s no netminder with a extra cut-and-dried case for the Vezina than Bishop, who bounced again from a so-so season with the Stars in his first 12 months with the group to show in a career-best marketing campaign in Dallas. Nevertheless it wasn’t simply one of the best season of Bishop’s profession, it was one of the best statistical output of any netminder this season.
All through the 2018-19 marketing campaign, there have been 31 goaltenders who noticed motion in at the least 41 video games, and of these keepers, Bishop sits atop the listing in arguably the 2 most essential base statistical classes: save share and goals-against common. His .934 mark within the former is a full 4 factors higher than the second-best 41-game goaltender, and Bishop’s 1.98 GAA made him the one netminder within the NHL this season with a sub-2.00 GAA and the primary netminder to put up such a mark since Carey Value throughout his Vezina and Hart Trophy-winning 2014-15 marketing campaign. Oh, Bishop additionally completed with seven shutouts.
As if Bishop’s case isn’t sturdy sufficient, his underlying numbers solely shine a brighter highlight his efficiency. Of the 34 goaltenders who performed at the least 1,800 minutes at 5-on-5, Bishop ranks second in SP (.938), first in GAA (1.86), first in goals-saved above common (19.9) and second in high-danger SP (.878).
The one attainable knock in opposition to Bishop is that he solely managed 27 wins, which places him right into a tie for 13th within the NHL. Wins are a group statistic, although. His failure to pile up extra victories shouldn’t be held in opposition to him.
THE CASE FOR LEHNERThe best story of the season might finish with Lehner standing on stage in Las Vegas accepting the highest goaltender honor lower than one 12 months after he was let stroll by the Buffalo Sabres, who didn’t tender the netminder a qualifying supply, and following an extremely troublesome low season through which he obtained remedy for habit and psychological well being points.
Like Bishop, Lehner’s case couldn’t be extra clear. Although he was platooned with Thomas Greiss this season, the Sabres castoff-turned-Islanders standout was distinctive this season and has the numbers to again it up. In his 46 appearances, 43 of which have been begins, Lehner posted a .930 SP, 2.13 GAA and 6 shutouts, marks which second, second and fourth amongst all goaltenders with at the least 41 video games performed. And like Bishop, Lehner has the underlying numbers to help his candidacy, too. His .935 SP at five-a-side was fourth-best among the many identical group of 1,800-minute goaltenders, whereas Lehner managed a fifth-best 1.91 GAA and fourth-best 16.6 GSAA.
There are, nonetheless, two points with Lehner’s candidacy that would forestall him from successful. The primary is that he did, as famous, break up time within the New York crease, which resulted in Lehner managing 25 wins this season. The second – and arguably what hurts his case extra – is that Greiss’ play might have resulted in some decreased voting numbers for Lehner. The 1B to Lehner’s 1A, Greiss’ numbers have been eerily related. He posted a .927 SP, 2.28 GAA, 5 shutouts, 23 wins and a .939 SP and 17.7 GSAA at 5-on-5. How did that issue into voting?
THE CASE FOR VASILEVSKIYVasilevsky gained probably the most video games on one of the best common season outfit the NHL has seen in ages, backstopping the Lightning to 39 of their record-tying 62 wins and posting career-best numbers alongside the way in which. However don’t let the wins – or his mediocre post-season efficiency – cloud the remainder of his credentials. Vasilevskiy was good, excellent, and is the right netminder to spherical out the Vezina high three.
Undoubtedly, it’s the wins whole that put Vasilevskiy entrance of thoughts for voters, however his different statistics again up his candidacy. As an illustration, his .925 SP was fourth-best among the many 41-game goaltenders. His 2.40 GAA was fifth-best amongst these 34 netminders. Six shutouts put Vasilevskiy stage with Lehner in that class. It also needs to be famous, too, that the Lightning starter noticed extra motion than Lehner and Bishop, as Vasilevskiy took the crease 53 instances.
The place Vasilevskiy’s case will get a bit rocky is the underlying numbers, although. He was not as sturdy at 5-on-5 as Lehner or Bishop, ending the marketing campaign with a ninth-best .929 SP, 11th-best 2.22 GAA, eighth-best 13 GSAA and a 23rd-best .815 SP among the many 34 goaltenders with 1,800 minutes performed. That doesn’t stack up all that properly in opposition to the numbers Lehner and Bishop posted, actually.
The factor is, although, that it won’t matter. Wins are wins, and the worth positioned upon these are excessive. Vasilevskiy gained extra video games than another goaltender, and that would make his case the strongest of any within the minds of those that voted.
WHO WAS SNUBBED?There have been none. So far as giving the top-three spots to the three goaltenders most deserving of recognition, this one was nailed. So, the query isn’t a lot who was snubbed, however the place different high contenders completed. Amongst these whose finishes in voting can be most fascinating to see are Greiss, whose numbers have been outlined above, in addition to Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington.
Kuemper, who took over from Antti Raanta as soon as the Coyotes starter fell injured, was a close to season-saver in Arizona, handing over an excellent .925 SP, 2.33 GAA and 5 shutouts in 55 video games for the Coyotes. He tried however fell wanting serving to Arizona to the post-season, however he was large within the blue paint.
Binnington was likewise a season saver, although he probably didn’t earn the identical quantity of consideration as even Kuemper given the Blues netminder had a restricted workload. Arriving in December and actually making his mark in the beginning of January, Binnington performed in 32 video games, completed with a .927 SP, 1.89 GAA and 5 shutouts and had an unbelievable 24-5-1 report that helped St. Louis go from league basement to divisional contender over the again half of the season.
Others who can be within the combine? Pekka Rinne, Carey Value and Frederik Andersen, although mediocre totals will scale back their vote totals. Sergei Bobrovsky may also get some love given he gained 37 video games and was on hearth in the course of the last weeks of the marketing campaign to assist the Columbus Blue Jackets keep away from an embarrassing post-season miss.
WHO WINS?It must be Bishop or Lehner. The Stars netminder and Islanders split-time starter have been higher than or equal to Vasilevskiy in nearly each single commonplace or superior statistical class. It’s not as if there’s some chasm in video games performed between Bishop, Lehner and the Lightning keeper, both, with the previous pair taking part in 46 video games apiece and Vasilevskiy taking part in in 53 contests. Given the worth GMs placed on wins, although, would anybody be stunned if Vasilevskiy, who backstopped the single-season wins record-tying Bolts, captures the top-goaltender crown? He sat atop the league with 39 wins, two greater than the next-best netminder.
(All superior statistics by way of NaturalStatTrick)
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Tags: awards, dallas stars, goaltending, the big apple islanders, tampa bay lightningConnect: In regards to the AuthorJared ClintonJared Clinton is a author and internet editor with The Hockey Information. He is been with the group since 2014. He was born, raised and resides in Winnipeg, the place he will be discovered lacking the online on outside rinks throughout city.