Trophy Tracker: Ullmark remains leader for Vezina as best goalie

To mark the three-quarter point of the 2022-23 regular season, NHL.com is running its fourth installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the goalie voted to be the best in the League by NHL general managers.

It's been a charmed season for Linus Ullmark with the Boston Bruins. Not only is he the favorite for the Vezina Trophy given to the top goalie in the NHL, but he's also a goal-scorer.
Ullmark became the 13th different goalie to score in the NHL, and eighth by shooting into an empty net, to complete a 3-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 25. He was even referred to as "our goal-scorer goalie" by Bruins coach Jim Montgomery in a recent press conference.
But it's not Ullmark's goal-scoring ability that has him atop the list of Vezina candidates, according to a poll of 15 writers for NHL.com. It's the success he's had in net. Ullmark received 75 points, including all 15 first-place votes. Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets was second with 50, and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars (38) ranked third.
"Running out of stuff to say about him," Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy said after Ullmark made an NHL career-high 54 saves in a 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 28. "It's just amazing. Feel very fortunate to play in front of him."
The 29-year-old has found a home and comfort zone during his second season with the Bruins, by far his best in the NHL. He's 32-4-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average and .938 save percentage, each best among goalies who've started at least 25 games.

Boston (49-9-5) leads the NHL with 103 points and had a 10-game winning streak end with a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at TD Garden on Thursday. It seems Ullmark is only getting stronger; he was named the
NHL Third Star of the Month for February
after going 6-0-0 with a 1.79 GAA and .947 save percentage when the race to the Stanley Cup Playoffs started to heat up.
"He's been standing on his head," Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. "He's been playing unbelievable. It's fun to watch him, honestly, this year. He's playing confident. He's big. He's very confident in the net. He's having a special year."
Ullmark had three solid seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before he signed with Boston as a free agent July 28, 2021, then made a jump in his first season while forming a tandem with Jeremy Swayman, going 26-10-2 with a 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage in 41 games (39 starts).
But nothing like what he's doing this season.
"It's so great to see the success he's had," Swayman said. "He puts in the work. And it's good to see guys that put in the work and get rewarded. I think he also knows that his job's not done yet."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis):Linus Ullmark, Bruins, 75 points (15 first-place votes); Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, 50; Jake Oettinger, Stars, 38; Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders, 25; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 22; Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado Avalanche, 5; Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers, 5; Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators, 3; Vitek Vanecek, New Jersey Devils, 2.