Wins. Goals-Against Average. Save Percentage. Shutouts. This is the Big Four, history’s best attempt to quantify hockey’s hardest position. But when we look beyond these basics, a more accurate picture appears, one that shows Mike Smith should have a Vezina. Who else was robbed? And who should win now?
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Despite the surprisingly high number of NHL general managers who seem to make decisions based on whim or astrology, over the last 30 years,stable voting criteria have emerged. Some of these are unofficial rules that have never or seldom been broken. Others are strong guidelines that prioritize particular statistics.
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The old practice of judging goaltenders by wins died in 2008, when Martin Brodeur beat out Evgeni Nabokov on the strength of save percentage despite trailing by two victories, an ironic end considering Brodeur stole consecutive Vezinas in 2003 and 2004 despite being well down the list in save percentage both years.
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