To mark the end of the 2017-18 regular season, NHL.com is running its final installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, a look at the race for the Vezina Award.
The fourth time could be the charm for Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.
Rinne has yet to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender despite being a three-time finalist, but that is likely to change at the 2018 NHL Awards in June. Rinne has been the backbone for the Predators, who have built on their trip to the Stanley Cup Final last season by winning the Presidents' Trophy this season with a Predators record with 117 points.
Rinne, 35, ranks third in the League in wins (42), is tied for the lead in shutouts (eight) with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a 2.31 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 59 games.
A panel of 17 NHL.com staff members and correspondents voted for the winners of each major award. Rinne received 15 first-place votes and had 83 points. Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets was second with 55 points, and Vasilevskiy and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights tied for third with 29 points.
Rinne's play, particularly in the second half, is a big reason why the Predators will have home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is 23-5-1 with five shutouts in his past 29 starts.
"I know that in our locker room and our organization, there's no question the importance that he [has] to our team," Predators defenseman P.K. Subban said of Rinne. "I mean I don't think we're talking about the Vezina, I think he should be in the conversation for MVP as well. We've got a great team. We do. We trust in both our goaltenders but for [Rinne] and what he's accomplished this year, and not just this year but last year and really his whole career, he's done it pretty consistently.
"This year, he's been really, really good. He's been a rock for us back there. We'll see what happens. I know [Rinne] is just focused on winning games and helping us win. Everything people are saying about him right now in a positive way is well-deserved."
With the help of Rinne, the Predators enjoyed a 15-game point streak (14-0-1) from Feb. 19-March 19. Rinne won 11 times during the streak.
He is the seventh goalie in NHL history to win 40 games three times, joining Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, Braden Holtby, Evgeni Nabokov, Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk.
"He's unbelievable," forward Ryan Johansen told the Predators website. "In our opinion, he's been the most valuable player for us, and definitely will be recognized for sure come award time in Vegas this summer."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Pekka Rinne, Predators, 83 points (15 first-place votes); Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, 55; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, 29; Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights, 29; Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins, 16; Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets, 16; John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks, 14; Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings, 6; Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs, 4; Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers, 1.
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