Vezina Trophy Power Rankings: Bobrovsky, Gibson make late surges
Welcome to the second edition of theScore's Vezina Trophy Power Rankings, where we rank this season's top five goaltenders.
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
Previously: 3rd
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 42-15-3 | 2.59 | .921 | 7 |
Vasilevskiy's season has been a case of Jekyll and Hyde. In his first 34 games, he had a .939 save percentage and six shutouts, and looked to be running away with the Vezina. Since then, his save percentage is just .900 in 27 games, and he has only one shutout.
It's clear that fatigue has played a part in Vasilevskiy's first full season as a starter, but the dropoff has been more dramatic than anyone expected. Regardless, his lights-out first half was enough to keep him in the top five.
4. John Gibson, Ducks
Previously: Honorable mention
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 30-18-7 | 2.46 | .925 | 4 |
Gibson's stellar play has not only put him in a spot to potentially be a Vezina finalist, but also put the Ducks in a good position to make the playoffs - a prospect that was in doubt for a good chunk of the season.
Entering Tuesday night's game, Gibson was 13-3-2 with a .938 save percentage and three shutouts in his last 18 games played. Health has plagued him in the past, but he's started 58 games this year - good for seventh-most in the league.
3. Sergei Bobrovsky, Blue Jackets
Previously: 4th
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 35-22-5 | 2.38 | .921 | 5 |
While Bobrovsky only comes in at No. 3, he's arguably the goalie most crucial to his team's success. The Blue Jackets were averaging the fewest goals per game among teams in a playoff spot entering Tuesday night, putting an immense amount of pressure on their goaltender.
Once the Jackets were able to generate some offense, they strung together a 10-game winning streak that was snapped last week, backed by a .940 save percentage by Bobrovsky, who was in net for seven of those wins.
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
Previously: 2nd
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | 40-11-9 | 2.38 | .923 | 6 |
Hellebuyck continues to be solid as a rock in the Jets' crease. He'll have to be spectacular down the stretch to take over the top spot, but he's undoubtedly solidified himself as a finalist.
1. Pekka Rinne, Predators
Previously: 1st
| GP | Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 41-11-4 | 2.25 | .929 | 8 |
It's remarkable that Rinne has never won the Vezina Trophy, but barring some sort of late-season collapse, he has it all but locked up. Sure, the Predators are the league's best team, but they certainly wouldn't be there without the play of their star netminder.
Honorable mentions: Frederik Andersen, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jonathan Quick, Tuukka Rask
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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