Pekka Rinne, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebuyck are busy stopping shots on what they hope is the road to the Stanley Cup Final, but all three postseason goalies have something else in common, too.
They've been named the finalists for the NHL's 2017-18 Vezina Trophy.
Rinne is no stranger to such a nomination, having been a finalist two times before. And his performance at age 35 this season might have been the most deserving of praise. An integral part of the Nashville Predators' surprise surge to the Final a year ago, Rinne upped his game this season with 42 wins, a .927 save percentage and eight shutouts, tied for the most in the NHL with Vasilevskiy. His efforts helped Nashville win a record 53 games, capture the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy and enter the Stanley Cup hunt as the best team in hockey.
Vasilevskiy was maybe the most underrated component of another Presidents' Trophy candidate, the Tampa Bay Lightning. On a team that paced the league in goal-scoring, the 23-year-old racked up 44 wins, tied for the most in the NHL with Hellebuyck, as part of the best season in Lightning history -- a 54-23-5 finish atop the Atlantic Division.
Hellebuyck, meanwhile, made like Vasilevskiy as an X-factor for a team most known for its scoring. A first-time finalist and the first nominee in Jets history at age 24, his 44 wins also topped the league, and his six shutouts ranked behind only his fellow Vezina candidates. Hellebuyck also posted a save percentage (.924) and goals-against average (2.36) in the NHL's top 10.
The winner of this year's trophy will be announced at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 20.
