Breaking Down the NHL's 2015 Vezina Trophy Candidates

NHL goaltenders have one of the toughest jobs in professional sports, and as the last line of defense there is a ton of pressure placed upon them because the margin for error is so small.

This season, there were a number of goaltenders who went above and beyond their expected level of play, and the finalists for the Vezina Trophy include Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, Devan Dubnyk of the Arizona Coyotes/Minnesota Wild and Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

Price was also nominated for the Hart, and for that reason, many feel he's a lock to take home the Vezina. Each goaltender was named a finalist for a reason, and here's a look at the candidates.

Snapshot of Each Candidate

Devan Dubnyk

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

It was a tale of two seasons for Dubnyk in 2014-15, and a trade to the Wild was a catalyst for a surge in his game.

With the Coyotes, he posted a record of 9-5-2 with a .916 save percentage and 2.72 goals-against average, but in Minnesota, he went 27-9-2 with a .936 save percentage and a 1.78-goals against average. He started 38 of 39 games with the Wild, and he was a big reason why the franchise went to the playoffs.

Carey Price

Scott Audette/Getty Images

Price had a legendary season, one that hasn't been seen in 16 years. By finishing the season with 44 wins, a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average, the Canadiens goaltender became the first netminder to finish with 40 or more wins, a save percentage above .930 and a goals-against average of 2.00 or lower since Roman Turek did it with the St. Louis Blues in 1999-00.

Pekka Rinne

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Pekka Rinne is the third finalist for the Vezina Trophy, and it is a bit surprising he was nominated after a subpar second half of the season and recording similar numbers to Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals.

Rinne appeared in 64 games, and finished with a record of 41-17-6 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. The Predators' netminder also recorded four shutouts, and he seeks his first Vezina Trophy after being named a finalist in 2011 and 2012.

Who Should Win: Carey Price

Price was so good in 2014-15 that he was nominated for the Hart Trophy, which will be given to the NHL's top overall player. In terms of statistical categories, Price led the league in wins, save percentage and lowest goals-against average, and he also tied for second with nine shutouts.

The Habs netminder's dominance is even more apparent when you take a deeper look at the numbers, and here are a couple of charts for your viewing pleasure.

Goaltender	Low	Medium	High
Carey Price	97.60	94.25	85.12
Devan Dubnyk	97.55	92.43	84.98
Pekka Rinne	97.36	91.76	82.44

Each goaltender's save percentage was listed somewhere in the introduction, but this chart takes a look at save percentage by situation. As you can see, Price was the best when it came to all shot types, and it speaks to how good he was no matter the situation.

To add some more context, here is a breakdown of goals allowed in each situation.

Goaltender	Low	Medium	High	Total
Carey Price	22	29	79	130
Devan Dubnyk	19	32	64	115
Pekka Rinne	24	37	79	140

You will notice Dubnyk beat Price twice in individual situations and in the overall total, but it should be noted that Dubnyk appeared in eight fewer games. If you take Dubnyk's goals-against average and extend it over those eight games, he would have allowed about 14 more goals, so his edge over Price is razor thin.

The final point I shall raise will speak to each player's ability to perform in the clutch, and below is a chart of how each goaltender held up in games in which their team had a one-goal lead.

Goaltender	Sv%	AdSv%	Goals
Carey Price	95.19	95.53	15
Devan Dubnyk	94.70	95.35	15
Pekka Rinne	93.21	92.93	19

Holding on to a one-goal lead isn't always easy, and as you will see, both Price and Dubnyk were exceptional, whereas Rinne was dreadful at keeping leads. Price was better at holding one-goal leads with more frequency, and that is highlighted with his higher save percentage in this particular situation.

His ability to do this was key, especially when you consider the lack of offensive support he received from his team, as it can be difficult to be in a situation where absolute perfection is often needed.

Team	G/GP	NHL Rank
MIN	2.77	12/30
NSH	2.76	14/30
MTL	2.61	20/30

Dubnyk had an exceptional season, but the limited body of work with the Wild hurt his chances. He wasn't particularly good in the playoffs, and it may be a case in which he just ran out of gas.

Price was exceptional during the regular season, and the combination of regular and advanced metrics are enough to say that he should win the award. His nomination for the Hart Trophy should be enough to guarantee victory, but we will just have to wait and see what goes down in Las Vegas.

Stats via Hockey-Reference.com, War-on-Ice.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com unless otherwise indicated.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article listed Braden Holtby instead of Pekka Rinne as a finalist. We regret the error.