Blue Jackets' Bobrovsky creeping into Vezina conversation
Scooch over Devan Dubnyk and Carey Price.
Roughly a third of the way through the season, it's looking like the Vezina Trophy will be handed out to one of either Dubnyk or Price; and why not?
The Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens netminders have been marvelous to date, pushing both of their clubs into the upper echelon of the NHL standings.
However, as Christmas draws nearer, a third contender is starting to emerge in the form of Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been arguably the hottest team in the NHL over the last month-and-a-half, and Bobrovsky has been as responsible for their streak as anybody.
The club is riding an eight-game winning streak at the moment - its longest of the season - with Bobrovsky having dressed in seven of those games. In each contest, the former Vezina Trophy winner has allowed two goals or fewer, allowing just one goal in five of those appearances.
Bobrovsky has been everything the Blue Jackets could want and more as he sits among the best in the league in nearly every statistical category.
| Goalie | Wins | Save Percentage | Goals-Against Average | Shutouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devan Dubnyk | 15 (T-4) | .947 (1) | 1.62 (1) | 4 (1) |
| Carey Price | 16 (T-2) | .935 (T-4) | 1.95 (6) | 2 (T-8) |
| Matt Murray | 12 (13) | .937 (3) | 1.86 (3) | 2 (T-8) |
| Tuukka Rask | 15 (4) | .930 (8) | 1.90 (T-4) | 3 (T-2) |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | 18 (1) | .935 (T-4) | 1.90 (T-4) | 3 (T-2) |
(X) = League Rank
A model of consistency all season long, the 28-year-old has allowed three or more goals in a game in just three of his 25 games played.
Bobrovsky has helped propel Columbus to within a mere two points of the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins - who share the best record in the league. What's more, the Blue Jackets have four and three games in-hand on the two, respectively.
Columbus is quickly becoming the team to beat league-wide, and in order for the opposition to overcome the soaring Blue Jackets, teams will have to find a way to put pucks past a goaltender who just might be bringing home some hardware at season's end.