By Nathan Eide -
Likely the first of two Minnesota Wild players to vie for post-season accolades, Niklas Backstrom was named a finalist for the Vezina trophy, along with Tim Thomas and Steve Mason.
Let's take a look at the three finalists
Backstrom is clearly leading in games played, but is last of the three in GAA and second in save percentage. Wins don't matter, honestly. Based upon these numbers, Tim Thomas should be the odds on favorite. But he played 17 fewer games than Backstrom, so Backstrom had the harder job this year. Of course, it also means he had a better chance to hide a bad game with a few other great ones than Thomas or Mason did.
Are there deeper analytics?
According to Mirtle, Backstrom faces the easiest shots in the NHL. Of course, the "quality shot" stat is completely dependant upon the scorekeeper.
More analytics can be found at Behind the Net.
So, who do you think should win?
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.