Final stats for Linus Ullmark will surely earn him fifth Vezina Trophy in Bruins history
BOSTON -- Linus Ullmark gave Bruins fans a bit of a scare on Tuesday night, leaving the game early with an apparent injury.
Head coach Jim Montgomery calmed those nerves postgame, though, by saying the netminder had been taken out for precautionary reasons. Montgomery repeated that line on Wednesday, saying the goaltender is "good," but noted that the team will be leaving Ullmark behind for the final regular-season road trip of the season.
With that, Ullmark can mentally move on to the postseason, and he can officially close the book on his remarkable regular season.
The 29-year-old Swede turned in by far the best season of his career, fulfilling the potential of what Don Sweeney and the Bruins' front office saw before giving him a four-year deal prior to last season. And though some voices around the hockey world are sure to throw some other "more deserving" goaltenders to win the Vezina Trophy this year, it's an award that has very clearly belonged to Ullmark for several months.
Since the introduction of its current form in 1982, the Vezina has gone to only three Bruins goaltenders. Pete Peeters was the first Boston winner back in 1983, followed by Tim Thomas winning the award in 2009 and 2011. Tuukka Rask won his lone Vezina in 2014. Soon, Ullmark will become the fourth name on that list.
With his season now over, these are the stats:
48 games started, 49 appearances
40-6-1 record
2 shutouts
.938 save percentage
1.89 GAA
.944 even strength save percentage
And here's where he ranks in those chief categories:
Wins: 1st
Save percentage: 1st
GAA: 1st
EV Sv%: 1st
Shutouts: T-14th
The only mark against Ullmark might be the low shutout total and the low workload. Ullmark was tied for making the 15th-most starts in the NHL this year, well behind fellow Vezina contenders in Connor Hellebuyck (64 starts) and Ilya Sorokin (59 starts).
That would, undoubtedly, carry a lot of weight in a Vezina debate ... if Ullmark weren't head and shoulders above the rest of the league in the categories where he's the league leader.
Just look. It's crazy.
Save Percentage
1. Ullmark, .938
2. Sorokin, .925
3. Hellebuyck, .920
4. Alexandar Georgiev, .919
5. Juuse Saros, .919GAA
1. Ullmark, 1.89
2. Ilya Samsonov, 2.33
3. Sorokin, 2.35
4. Jake Oettinger, 2.41
5. Vitek Vanecek, .245Ev SV%:
1. Ullmark, .944
2. Sorokin, .930
3. Georgiev, .930
4. Hellebuyck, .926
5. Shesterkin, .925
The advanced stats from Money Puck are just as bonkers.
Goals saved above expected per 60
1. Ullmark, 0.883
2. Saros, 0.748
3. Sorokin, 0.667
4. Hellebuyck, 0.489
5. Shesterkin, 0.483GAA better than expected
1. Ullmark, 0.88
2. Saros, 0.75
3. Sorokin, 0.67
4. Hellebuyck, 0.49
5. Shesterkin, 0.49
Again, the only knock against Ullmark would be his limited playing time compared to the other top goalies in the league. It would be valid if Ullmark weren't so far ahead of everyone in just about every single statistic.
So, while everyone in Boston looks ahead to a potential run to a Stanley Cup, they at least can know for certain that a Vezina will be waiting for Ullmark in June.
