Pucks of a Feather Midseason Awards Ballot: Vezina Trophy

Jan 17, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) skates in warm-ups prior to the game against against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Number 3: Braden Holtby

Braden Holtby has been outstanding this season, and it’s a shame that he was not named to the All-Star Game. The “one player per team” rule meant many deserving players would be snubbed, especially after the Chicago Blackhawks received five players who were voted in (and that’s the nature of a fan vote: their fanbase went out and got their players in, which was the goal). Fleury was another initial snub, but he was eventually named. I had hoped that Holtby would get in for Jimmy Howard or Sergei Bobrovsky, but it was not to be.

Holtby and Fleury have similar stat-lines. Holtby’s triple-slash line sits at 22-9-8, 2.26 GAA, and .921 SV%. Fleury has three fewer OT/SO losses, the same number of wins, a marginally higher GAA, and a virtually identical save percentage (Fleury’s save percentage is about 7/100000 higher). Fleury leads in shutouts six to four. So what puts Holtby over Fleury?

Holtby has appeared in 40 games and started in 39 games for the Washington Capitals, who have played 46 games this season. The games played and started figures are second in the league to Cory Schneider. Talk about a workhorse. Holtby’s faced 1119 shots this season, third behind Schneider and Kari Lehtonen. His 1031 saves are third as well, behind the same two. He’s second in minutes played, at 2331:54. The Capitals have leaned on him, night after night. A major part of the Capitals’ success this season is in part because of Holtby.

Surprisingly, the next two candidates have even better numbers. Having a GAA around 2.30 and a SV% north of .920 is tremendous. It’s a testament to the excellence the final two players have brought.

Next: Number 2: Arguably the Best in the World