Cory Schneider emerging as dark horse Vezina candidate

Cory Schneider is one of the best goalies in the NHL, and should be on track to received some long overdue recognition.

With a 3-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, in which he stopped all 36 shots he faced, the New Jersey Devils netminder improved his record to 16-10-5. He now leads the league in appearances (31) and ranks second in minutes played (1,855), and continues to post impressively consistent numbers across the board.

Schneider has also made the fourth-highest amount of saves, ranking third in save percentage and fourth in GAA among goalies with at least 25 starts.

And don't be fooled into thinking Schneider's success can be chalked up to the Devils' system. Lou Lamoriello's New Jersey teams are well in the past, with a more up-tempo, offensively-minded squad being featured in Newark these days under general manager Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes.

Case in point, the defense in front of Schneider is made up of several young players who look to push the puck up the ice as opposed to focusing solely on shutting things down, making the goalie's performance with the club all the more impressive.

After an injury to Carey Price early in the season that appears to have taken him out of the running, Braden Holtby's impressive play has solidified his position as the odds-on favorite to win the 2016 Vezina Trophy. However, Jake Allen, Ben Bishop, Henrik Lundqvist, and Roberto Luongo - Schnieder's former crease mate - are also in the running.

But if Schneider can keep up these numbers - as he has since entering the league in 2008 - and if the Devils can continue to hang in the playoff race, he should receive a nod as a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career.

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