NHL Awards: Vezina Trophy Finalists

The NHL Playoffs are upon us, which means the finalists for the NHL Awards are being announced. First up, were the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the top goaltender in the League.

The three finalists were Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The winner will be announced on June 20th at the NHL Awards in Vegas. The General Managers will have the final say in which goalie gets to take home the hardware.

Connor Hellebuyck was slated to start the season as the backup goaltender for the Jets until the veteran Steve Mason struggled early and then got hurt. Once Hellebuyck got a chance at being the number one goalie, he never looked back. He played in 67 games this season and finished with a 44-11-9 record to go with a .924 save percentage and a 2.36 GAA. He finished eighth in goals against average and 10th in save percentage. The 67 games were tied for the most played by a goalie, while his 3,966 minutes were the most played. 

The 24-year-old is the first Vezina finalist in Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history, and it is also his first time being a finalist for the award. His 44 wins were tied for most in the league with Vasilevskiy, and were the most by a U.S. born goalie ever, breaking Tom Barasso’s record of 42 wins. Hellebuyck’s six shutouts were the third most in the league behind Rinne & Vasilevskiy. He won nine straight games to end the season, which is a franchise record. He faced the third most amount of shots (2,048) and made 1,892 saves. 

Pekka Rinne, 35, is a finalist for the Vezina for the fourth time in his career. He has never won the award, but came in second in the 2010-11 & 2014-15 seasons. Rinne finished third in voting in the 2011-12 season. He finished the season with a record of 42-13-4 to go with a 2.31 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in 59 games played. His 2.31 GAA was the fifth best in the league and his .927 save percentage was ranked seventh best. Rinne’s eight shutouts were tied for tops in the league with Vasilevskiy and set a franchise record.

Rinne was the most consistent of the three finalists this year. He managed to keep his team in games and give them a chance to win with timely saves. The goalie helped his team to win 11 straight games from February 19-March 19, which helped the Predators clinch the Presidents Trophy and the Central Division.The 42 wins were third in the NHL, and it marked the third time in his career that Rinne has reached 40 or more wins in a season. Yes, his number may not have been as good as the two other finalists, but without him the Predators may not even win the Central Division.

Andrei Vasilevskiy took over the starting goaltending position this season after splitting some time with other goalies the past two seasons. This is his first time as a finalist for the award and if he wins, he could be the first ever goalie to win the award in Tampa Bay Lighting history. The numbers could have been better, but he admitted towards the end of the season that he was starting to get tired due to the heavy load this year. He was 44-17-3 with a 2.62 GAA and a .920 save percentage in 65 games played in the regular season. His 3.825 minutes played were the fourth most in the league as were his 65 games played. 

The 23-year-old was tied for first in wins (44) and shutouts (8), which were both franchise records. He led his team to the best record in the Eastern Conference and to the best season in franchise history. Vasilevskiy won in straight on the road from October 9-30, which is a new Lightning record. He became the 12th goalie in NHL history to finish the season with a share of the NHL lead in wins prior to his 24th birthday. He did allow a lot of goals on the power play, but that was a product of his team not being very good in front of him.

My projected winner for the Vezina Trophy is Pekka Rinne. He did so much for his team this year, and led them to a franchise record in wins (53) and points (117). Rinne kept his team in games, and was the most consistent goaltender from start to finish despite only playing in 59 games this year. 

Leafs Notes: Weekly Preview 3/11/18-3/17/18

The Toronto Maple Leafs will finally get to play some games this week after playing just three games in the last 11 days.

The Leafs will still have off until Wednesday night, but then play three games in four days. It won't be an easy stretch as they'll face the Dallas Stars as home on Wednesday night. The Leafs will then travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Thursday night. Toronto will finish the week on Saturday night at home against the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto will want to use their speed in transition to create odd man rushes and draw penalties. The Leafs should try to get involved early in this game and create chances. The Maple Leafs need a good game from the goaltender with no soft goals and not allowing everything to get past him. Toronto should try to win the battle at even strength since this game could very well come down to even strength goals.

Dallas  will need to contain the speed of the Maple Leafs since they have plenty of it. The Stars want to play a good game in the neutral zone by limiting mistakes and turnovers. Dallas needs the goaltending to be very good in this game and not allow any soft goals. The Stars should watch Patrick Marleau since he has 65 career points in 101 games played against the Stars.

The Sabres need to limit their mistakes with and without the puck since the Leafs have the ability to finish. Buffalo will want to play the game with some discipline since their penalty kill has been in the bottom of the League for a majority of the season. The Sabres need to get the first goal of the game and keep attacking along with getting shots on net since Freddie Andersen has been giving up some goals lately. Buffalo will need a solid 60 minute effort if they hope to gain two points in the standings.

The Leafs need to find a way to win in Buffalo. They lost lost 5-3 on March 5, which has been the only time the two teams have met so far this year. The Maple Leafs needs to get off to a good start by getting pucks on net, getting scoring chances, pressuring the Sabres players into turning the puck over. Toronto will want to be engaged in this game from the drop of the puck. The Leafs will want to get the first goal of the game and take the home crowd out of the game. Toronto will want to establish their forecheck and cycle game early and often in this one to keep the Sabres hemmed in their own zone.

The Leafs will need to get off to a fast start against the Canadiens on Saturday night. Toronto will need to pressure the puck carrier to force some turnovers. The Maple Leafs will want to limit their mistakes and get plenty of shots on goal.

The Canadiens will also want to get off to a good start and try to get the first goal of the game. The Habs will want to have the led entering the final period of the game. Montreal will need the starting goaltender to step up his game and make some saves to keep them in the game.

Sabres Slashes: Weekly Preview 3/11/18 - 3/17/18

The Buffalo Sabres veteran players will look to finish out the stretch run strong, while the young kids will look to make an impression for next season.

The Sabres only play twice this week and have off until Thursday night when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town. On Saturday they will take on the struggling and underachieving Chicago Blackhawks.

Buffalo will look to steal two points from the Maple Leafs when they come to town on Thursday night. The Sabres need to limit their mistakes with and without the puck since the Leafs have the ability to finish. Buffalo will want to play the game with some discipline since their penalty kill has been in the bottom of the League for a majority of the season. The Sabres need to get the first goal of the game and keep attacking along with getting shots on net since Freddie Andersen has been giving up some goals lately. Buffalo will need a solid 60 minute effort if they hope to gain two points in the standings.

The Leafs need to find a way to win in Buffalo. They lost lost 5-3 on March 5, which has been the only time the two teams have met so far this year. The Maple Leafs needs to get off to a good start by getting pucks on net, getting scoring chances, pressuring the Sabres players into turning the puck over. Toronto will want to be engaged in this game from the drop of the puck. The Leafs will want to get the first goal of the game and take the home crowd out of the game. Toronto will want to establish their forecheck and cycle game early and often in this one to keep the Sabres hemmed in their own zone.

On Saturday, the Blackhawks will take on the Sabres. It will be a battle of two teams that have really struggled this year. Buffalo will need to take advantage of a struggling road penalty kill of the Blackhawks. The Sabres want to get off to a fast start and get plenty of pucks on net since goaltending hasn't exactly been Chicago's strong suit with Corey Crawford sidelined. They should try to have the lead entering the final period since they are 15-0-5 when leading after two periods. The Sabres need to get a good game from the starting goaltender.

The Blackhawks need to take advantage of playing a team below them in the standings, who could still be without their best player. Chicago needs to come out with a ton of energy to start the game and be willing to grind it out. The Blackhawks should try to take advantage of a not-so-hot penalty kill of the Sabres. Chicago needs to play a good defensive game and have the goalie make some saves. The Blackhawks need to get the first goal of the game.

Preds Prey: Weekly Preview 3/11/18-3/17/18

The Nashville Predators look to add some distance between them and the rest of the playoff contenders this week as they play three games. They will have to gain some points while on the road since two of the three games are away from Bridgestone Arena.

The Preds will take on the Winnipeg Jets at home on Tuesday night, which should be an entertaining game. They will then travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes, whom they should not underestimate since the Coyotes have been play decent hockey of late. Nashville will end the week in Colorado facing an Avalanche team that has surprised everyone and is right in the thick of the playoff race this year.

Nashville will face the Jets on Tuesday night and this game has the potential to be bonkers. The last time these two teams met, the Predators pulled out a 6-5 regulation win. The Preds will want to play with some discipline since the Jets power play is the second best in the NHL. Nashville will want to get the first goal of the game to keep a raucous crowd involved in the game. The Predators will want to get the forelock established in this game and be willing to win the board battles. Nashville is going to need to find a way to keep Patrik Laine and Blake Wheeler in check since they are the two leading scorers for Winnipeg.

The Jets need to have Connor Hellebuyck to have one of his best games of the year, if they want to steal two points on the road against the team directly in front of them in the standings. Winnipeg should be aware of how Nashville's defensemen like to jump up and be involved on the offensive side of the puck. The Jets need to get off to a fast start, and be engaged in this game from the drop of the puck. Winnipeg wants to limit their mistakes and turnovers while playing some really good team defense.

On Thursday night, the Preds need to be careful not to take the Coyotes lightly or overlook them. Nashville wants to get off to a fast start and get the first goal of the game. If the Predators can get an early  lead then they need to keep attacking and not sit back to allow Arizona to get back in the game. Nashville should try to take advantage of a weak Coyotes penalty kill. They will need to win the battle at even strength and just make sure that they come out ready to play with energy and effort.

The Coyotes will want to get the first goal of the game to build their confidence. Arizona needs to have the lead entering the final period since they are 14-3-3 when leading after two, while being 4-25-4 while trailing after two periods. The biggest key to winning this game or even competing against the Predators is to avoid the mental mistakes and turnovers because they can turn into goals for Nashville pretty quickly. Arizona needs to get some bodies in front of the net to take away the goalie's eyes.

Nashville ends the week with another game against a Central Division opponent, the Colorado Avalanche. The Preds should try to get the first goal of the game since the Avs are 30-6-3 when scoring first. Nashville will want to play with discipline because the Avalanche can score some goals while on the man advantage. The Preds need to make sure that they have energy from the drop of the puck because if they aren't ready to play then the Avs could jump all over them and take the early lead. The Predators need to get a really good game from the starting goalie, who needs to make saves when needed and not allow any soft goals.

Colorado will want to get the first goal of the game to keep the home crowd in the game, which could feel like a playoff game. The Avalanche needs to have the lead entering the third period since they are only 2-20-4 when trailing after two periods this year. The Avs will also need their starting goalie to come up big when called upon because the Preds will get their opportunities to score. Colorado will have to play a complete 60  minute game to have a shot at beating their Central Division foe.

Lightning Strikes: Weekly Preview 3/11/18-3/17/18

The Tampa Bay Lightning will play only two games this week, but those games are against Atlantic Division opponents so there are some important points up for grabs. The Bolts will also have the advantage of playing in front of the home crowd for both games.

On Tuesday night, an underachieving Ottawa Senators team visits Amalie Arena. The red hot Boston Bruins will then come to town for an all important game on Saturday night. The Sens will be look to play the role of spoiler, while the Bruins will be trying their best to gain ground on the Lightning and put some distance between them and the Leafs.

The Bolts should get off to a fast start against an Ottawa team that has been outscored by 10 goals in the first periods of games this season. They will want to set the tone early and be ready to play early in this one. Tampa Bay needs to not play down to their opponent and look ahead to the Bruins game because that could cost them two valuable points in the standings. The Lightning want to get plenty of pucks on net with traffic in front since the Sens goalies have been anything but solid this year. The Bolts should have an easy time winning the special teams battle even though the penalty kill has been an area of concern all season long.

The Senators are going to want to figure out a way to stop the balanced lineup of the Bolts. They have four lines that can beat you at any given time during a game. Ottawa needs to play solid team defense, have the forwards help out and the goalie make some saves. The Sens want to take away the time and space of the Lightning so they can't create in the offensive zone. The Senators needs to play with discipline since the Lightning have one of the best power play units in the League. Ottawa needs the goaltending to come up big for them in order to steal two points in this game.

The Lightning will have three days off before they face the Bruins in a huge divisional game at home. The Bolts want to be involved from the drop of the puck since they will have had three days without seeing any game action. Tampa Bay should get the forecheck and cycle games going early and often in this game to keep the Bruins busy defending. The Lightning need to get plenty of traffic in front of the net and shots on goal. The Bolts should limit their mistakes and turnovers because the Bruins can and will take advantage of sloppy play. Andrei Vasilevskiy will likely be the starter and he needs to play at the Vezina level that he has been playing at all year for the Lightning to have a shot at this game.

The Bruins have been red hot lately, and the loss of Patrice Bergeron hasn't seemed to affect them. Boston needs to get off to a fast start and be engaged from the drop of the puck since the Lightning will have had three days off. The Bruins will want to get plenty of traffic and screens in front of the net because if Vasilevskiy can see the puck then he is going to stop it. The team may also want to try elevating the net since the Bolts goalie can cover the bottom portion of the net well. Boston needs to get a good game from their starting goalie. The Bruins should try to have the lead when entering the final period of play since they are 28-0-2 when leading after two periods.

Flying Forward: Weekly Preview 3/11/18-3/17/18

The Philadelphia Flyers will look to move up the playoff standings this week, but it won't be easy.

On Monday night, they'll face the Vegas Golden Knights, who are first in the Pacific Division. The Blue Jackets come to town on Thursday night in a game that could loom big for both teams. The Flyers end their week with a visit to Carolina on St. Patrick's Day.

The Flyers need to get off to a fast start against the Golden Knights tonight. They should set the tone early and be prepared to play with some energy from the beginning of the game. Philadelphia will want to establish the forecheck and cycle game early to get sustained offensive zone pressure to get some pucks on net and scoring chances. Petr Mrazek needs to have a stellar game and make saves. The Flyers should keep an eye on Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlson since they are the two top point producers for Vegas.

Vegas should get plenty of shots on goal in this game and test the Flyers goalie early, who has been inconsistent the past few games. The Golden Knights need to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game. Vegas should try to win the battle of special teams with some power play goals. The Golden Knights want to play a solid road game and keep an eye on the Flyers top line since they have been playing well since being put together.

The Orange and Black will host the Blue Jackets on Thursday night and expect this game to be a close one. The Flyers need to be discipline because they have a poor penalty kill. The team is going to need to limit their mistakes and watch out for the speed of the Blue Jackets. Philly will need to get a ton of traffic around the front of the net for screens and deflections. The goaltending for the Flyers will need to come up big since Columbus has been playing good hockey of late and averages 34 shots per game.

Columbus will also want to play with some discipline even with the Flyers power play struggling of late. The Blue Jackets should try to win the special teams battle since the teams are both decent at even strength hockey. Columbus needs to get off to a fast start and get a goal early or make a play that gets the team energized. The Blue Jackets will want to have the lead after two periods since they are a much better team when leading heading into the third period then when trailing. Columbus should know where Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek are on the ice at all times ice since they have decent career numbers against them.

The Flyers end the week with another divisional foe in the Carolina Hurricanes. Philly needs to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game. The Orange and Black want to play a solid road game and not make it easy for the Canes to do whatever they want on the ice. The Flyers need to win the battle at even strength since the opposition has outscored the Hurricanes 142-118 at even strength play this year; The Flyers will need to keep an eye on Jeff Skinner and Justin Williams since those two have not been kind to the Flyers in their careers.

The Hurricanes will want to play a team defense game with the forwards helping out. Carolina needs to get a good game from the starting goaltender. The Canes need to get the first goal of the game and keep attacking and not sit back. The Hurricanes should avoid the penalty box at all costs since their penalty kill has been an area of concern this season. Carolina will need to be aware of then defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is on the ice since he has 10 points in 11 career games played against them.

Shooting Stars: Weekly Preview 3/11/18-3/17/18

The Dallas Stars will look to position themselves in a good spot for playoff contention with only four weeks left in the regular season. It won't be an easy week even though they will face some teams that will not make the playoffs, but will try to play the role of spoiler.

If the Stars want to gain some valuable points this week then they will have to do it on the road where they haven't play well this season. Dallas is currently in the first wild card position, but there are four teams that are not far behind them including the Avalanche, who are only two points behind them for that first wild card spot.

The Stars will start the week off facing the Penguins, who played in Toronto last night and lost. On Tuesday, they will face the Canadiens, who are looking to play the role of spoilers, so the Stars better be ready to play from puck drop. Dallas then will face the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, and finish the week off in Ottawa on Friday night.

The Stars want to take advantage of the fact that the Penguins are coming off of playing a game last night and had to travel after the game. Dallas needs to get off to a solid start by spending some time in the offensive zone and getting the forecheck and cycle game established early. The Stars will need to stay out of the penalty box with the Pens having the best power play in the League. Dallas will want to get a solid game from the goaltending since the Penguins will get their chances to score. The Stars should keep an eye on when and where Sidney Crosby and Evegeni Malkin are on the ice since they have good career numbers against the Stars.

Pittsburgh needs to get off to a fast start themselves and make sure that they have the legs early in the game and feed of the energy of the crowd. The Penguins will need to find a way to stop the balanced lineup of the Stars. They should also try to have the lead entering the second period since they are only 5-19-2 when trailing after two periods, while Dallas is only 2-18-2 when trailing after two periods. The Pens need to keep an eye on Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza since they have a combined 62 points in their careers against the Penguins.

On Tuesday night, the Stars will visit the Canadiens, who have underachieved this year. Dallas should try to get the first goal of the game to take the home crowd out of the game. The Stars need to get off to a fast start and make sure they have some energy to start the game. Dallas should try to put a ton of pressure on the puck carrier and outnumber in board battles since the Habs will turn the puck over. The Stars need to be aware of when Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk are on the ice since they've done most of the damage for the Habs this year offensively.

Montreal needs to get the first goal of the game to get them off to a fast start. The Canadiens want to establish the forecheck early along with their cycle game since that is one way to stop the balanced lineup of the Stars. The goaltending will need to step up in a big way in this game to give the Habs a chance at stealing two points. The Canadiens need to keep an eye on Jason Spezza when he is on the ice since he has 69 points in 61 games played against them in his career.

The Stars will have a tough game on Wednesday night with it being the second game of a back-to-back situation and the opposition being the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dallas  will need to contain the speed of the Maple Leafs since they have plenty of it. The Stars want to play a good game in the neutral zone by limiting mistakes and turnovers. Dallas needs the goaltending to be very good in this game and not allow any soft goals. The Stars should watch Patrick Marleau since he has 65 career points in 101 games played against the Stars.

Toronto will want to use their speed in transition to create odd man rushes and draw penalties. The Leafs should try to get involved early in this game and create chances. The Maple Leafs need a good game from the goaltender with no soft goals and not allowing everything to get past him. Toronto should try to win the battle at even strength since this game could very well come down to even strength goals.

Dallas finishes their week on Friday against the Senators, who have been a big disappointment this year. The Stars need to win the special teams battle since the Senators are not good at special teams. Dallas should try to get the first goal of the game and take the home crowd out of the game. The Stars want to be patient with the puck, but not overly patient, because the Sens tend to black a lot of shots. Dallas will want to establish the forecheck and cycle game, and they'll also need to keep an eye on Mark Stone, since he is the leading point producer on the team.

The Senators should try to play a solid team defense with the gaps between the defense and forwards not too big. They'll need to avoid turnovers since the Stars have plenty of offensive fire power to score off those mistakes. Ottawa should stay out of the penalty box since the penalty kill has been awful this year. The Sens need to be better  all around and make sure that they are staying focused during the game. Ottawa will want to keep an eye on Tyler Seguin since he leads the Stars in points and goal.