We all know goalies are a bit of an enigma, a fact magnified in the past couple years as the game has opened up and the netminder age slowly washed away.
However, while Chris Osgood, Michael Leighton and Antti Niemi made appearances in the Cup final and Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller and Martin Brodeur struggle to get out of the first two rounds, the Vezina Trophy always seems to find a home with one of the game’s more recognizable names – except for Tim Thomas’ win in 2009, but that 36-year-old is no slouch. Oh, and that Jim Carey guy in 1996, but then again his name is recognizable.
How crazy is the goalie market? Last year’s Eastern Conference champs used Leighton and Brian Boucher in the playoffs and down the stretch, but started the year with Ray Emery. This season they started with another long shot in Russian free agent Sergei Bobrovsky. Is he a flash in the pan or is his Vladislav Tretiak-like down-low style for real? Meanwhile, in Washington, Jose Theodore’s 30-7-7 record and hot play down the stretch last season weren’t enough to keep him as “the guy” in the post-season or even in the lineup this year. And with Semyon Varlamov out with injury it’s been another kid, Michal Neuvirth, who has taken the reins. After a bit of a rocky start against Atlanta, Neuvirth has earned four wins in a row and hasn’t allowed more than two goals against in any of them.
Not to mention Nashville. A franchise with a propensity to bring along goalies – think Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason, Pekka Rinne – is giving another the taste of the high life. A seventh round pick (207th overall) in 2008, Anders Lindback has stepped in seamlessly for the injured Rinne and is one of a few surprising reasons why Nashville is one of three teams that hasn’t lost in regulation yet.
Like our take on the Hart Trophy, it’s very early. Think of this as a Power Rankings for goalies – we’ll rank players based on their current season, but also with some weight towards past accomplishments. Throughout the season there will be a cycle of four Trophy Watch features (Hart, Vezina, Norris and Jack Adams) appearing every week, so each will be updated once per month.
GAME OF THE MONTH: After stalling at the end of the regular season and losing in Round 1 to Vancouver, Jonathan Quick started this year in a head-to-head match with Luongo and the Canucks. He turned in a 23-save performance and was beaten just once during a 2-1 overtime victory for the Kings.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: A hot start in Europe earned Cam Ward a spot on our first Hart Trophy Watch, but two mediocre appearances in North America bump him down. We’ll chalk it up to jet lag, but Ward will have to keep battling on a West Coast swing; Hurricanes don’t play at home until Washington visits Oct. 27. Other notables:Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson, Jaroslav Halak, Carey Price, Anders Lindback.
THN.com's Vezina Trophy Watch will appear monthly throughout the season and don't miss out as we'll also track the Hart, Norris and Jack Adams.