The #1 Cop on the Force for Vezina

            Spreading the goalie love from the last post covering Minnesota Wild Josh Harding’s case for Masterton, let’s switch over to Columbus as we look at Sergei Bobrovsky’s case for Vezina. Now we all know the #1 Cop on the Force didn’t quite make the playoffs (sorry Lumbus), but that shouldn’t impact his case here…Get it? “Case.” Oh this post is going to be fun. But let’s try to keep it serious – try – and build a real argument for Bob so he can get the recognition he deserves…and maybe a promotion to sheriff. Pulling files out from the Blue Jackets department, here are the top reasons why Bob has a shot at Vezina.

But first, let’s try to clear up some confusion on who is awarded the Vezina. The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the goaltender that is judged to “be the best at this position”. This description has been open to interpretation though and is the cause of confusion when determining a Vezina winner. With the William M. Jennings Trophy awarded to the goaltender allowing the fewest goals during the regular season, the stats are more of a guideline than a set basis for the winner of the Vezina Trophy. So what is the basis for judging a winner? The “best,” hmmm, that’s oddly vague. What if we interpreted “best” the same way the Hart Memorial Trophy does? The Hart Trophy is awarded to a player “judged most valuable to his team,” so perhaps Vezina should be awarded the same way, to a goaltender awarded most valuable and impacting to his team. The “best” interpreted as the “most valuable to his team” would make determining the winner of this award a bit easier, and if we’re picking a goaltender who is the most valuable to his team, Sergei Bobrovsky is a definite winner.

Taking a look at the stats, Bobrovsky recorded four shutouts, and over 1,000 saves in the regular season to build a 21-11-6 record with the Columbus Blue Jackets, only three wins behind the other two Vezina candidates, Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Niemi, who tied with 24 wins. But don’t let the wins deceive you; while Bobrovsky may not have the top stats amongst goaltenders, he still holds the best case for the Vezina trophy. The factor truly separating Bobrovsky from Lundqvist and Niemi is that Bobrovsky is the only goalie that played for a team no one expected to do any good. The Rangers – Lundqvist – are a name-brand team expected to perform well every season, and the Sharks – Niemi – are also put under pressure by their fan base to make a run for the playoffs. The Blue Jackets though, are practically infamous for being the “underdog team” that ranks in the bottom of the league year after year. But wait…they tied for 8^th in points in the Western Conference this year, only being pushed out of a playoff spot by a tie-breaker held by the Minnesota Wild who had more regulation wins. And who was responsible for this huge turnaround of the team that hasn’t made a playoff run since 2009? You guessed it, Sergei Bobrovsky. That seems like a pretty valuable goaltender to me when you realize that this season was the closest the Blue Jackets have come to making only their second playoff berth in franchise history. Bobrovsky, without the luxury of playing for a name-brand team or being backed by skilled players such as Ryan Callahan or Joe Thornton, still carried his team to tie for a playoff spot and exceeded expectations held by everyone in the league.

Playing for the underdog team when just last season he was sitting as backup for the Philadelphia Flyers, Sergei Bobrovsky is like the comeback-kid fans have fallen in love with and the Columbus Blue Jackets have come to appreciate as one of the most valuable players on their team. The stats aren’t perfect, but if you paid attention during the regular season, the stats didn’t matter. Bobrovsky has played with heart and has definitely been the “best at this position” sitting in net for the Blue Jackets. If we’re judging the “best” and “most valuable” goaltender for his team, amongst the nominees listed, Bobrovsky should be considered the winner of the Vezina Trophy for being the backbone and center of hope for the Columbus Blue Jackets in just his first season being a number one goaltender in the NHL.