Tuukka Rask a Vezina Finalist
Today, the NHL announced that Tuukka Rask has been nominated as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. The award, which is presented annually to the league's top goaltender, is voted on by each team's general managers.
Rask, who previously won the award in 2014, registered 26 wins during the regular season. Good enough for seventh-most in the NHL. However, he did so in only 41 appearances. His .634 winning percentage was tops for goalies with 40 stars or more.
The Bruins netminder also posted a league-leading 2.12 GAA, along with a .929 save percentage, which was good enough for the second spot, behind former Bruins backup, Anton Khudobin, who recorded a .930 for Dallas.
It’s already been a season full of honours for the 33-year-old Finnish goalie. Earlier in the year, he played in his 500th career game, becoming the first Bruins goaltender in franchise history. He and Jaroslav Halak won the Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goalie tandem that allows the fewest goals in the NHL.
Should Rask win the Vezina, he would become one of only two active goaltenders who won the award multiple times (Bobrovsky in 2013 & 2017). He would also be the first Bruins backstop to do so since Tim Thomas won his second back in 2011.