Hellebuyck, Rask, Vasilevskiy in race for Vezina Trophy, numbers say

NHL.com goes Behind the Numbers during the season pause to examine the front-runners for each NHL award using underlying statistics. This week we look at three potential finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the top goalie during the regular season, based on performance and other statistical factors.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck leads the NHL with six shutouts and is second in wins (31), fifth in save percentage (.922) and 11th in goals-against average (2.57) among the 45 goalies to play at least 30 games. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider the Jets are without four of their top defensemen from last season after Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks) and Ben Chiarot (Montreal Canadiens) each left as a free agent, Jacob Trouba was traded to the New York Rangers, and Dustin Byfuglien was suspended for the season before his contract was terminated April 18. Hellebuyck is fifth in even-strength save percentage (.927; minimum 30 games), and his 38 games with a save percentage of at least .900 are the most in the NHL. It is also worth noting that he is ninth in shots-against per 60 minutes (33.0), a workload that makes his save percentages that much more impressive.

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask is seventh in the NHL with 26 wins, and among goalies to play at least 30 games, he's second in save percentage (.929) and first in goals-against average (2.12). Rask's five shutouts are tied for second with Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights and Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets. His advanced stats also show his Vezina-caliber season; he's second in even-strength save percentage (.939) and 11th when facing opposition power plays (.886). And he's had at least a .900 save percentage in 73.2 percent of his starts (30 of 41), second among goalies to start at least 30 games (Robin Lehner, 73.5 percent). Rask has allowed the fewest goals (85) among the 22 goalies to play at least 40 games, 10 fewer than second-place Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vasilevskiy leads the NHL with 35 wins in 52 games, and his three shutouts are tied for eighth. Among goalies to play at least 30 games, he's ninth in GAA (2.56) and even-strength save percentage (.925), and 13th in save percentage in all situations (.917). Vasilevskiy's strong season also can be quantified by his 34 starts with a save percentage of at least .900, which is tied with Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues for second in the NHL.

The winner is ...

Rask is putting together some of the best numbers of his NHL career, and Vasilevskiy continues to be a model of consistency at the position. But it's too hard to overlook Hellebuyck's success with the massive turnover to Winnipeg's defensemen. His shutout total combined with his even-strength play put him over the top statistically, and the consistency exemplified by his NHL-leading 38 games with at least a .900 save percentage while facing a high shot volume seals the deal.