Welcome to the fourth in-season edition of theScore's 2023-24 Vezina Trophy rankings, a monthly look at the top goaltenders across the NHL.

The All-Star break and bye weeks made for smaller sample sizes and resulted in two newcomers and one returnee from earlier in the season. The frontrunners are a significant step ahead of the chasers at this point, but there's a collection of netminders neck-and-neck for the third finalist spot with plenty of hockey left to play.

GSAA = Goals saved above average
GSAx = Goals saved above expected

5. Jeremy Swayman, Bruins

Previous rank: N/A

Swayman is back on our radar after missing out in January. The amount of games played is a big detractor in his Vezina candidacy, but the 25-year-old's numbers speak for themselves. Although Swayman is splitting his time closely with Linus Ullmark (26 starts to 23), he's the superior option for the Atlantic-leading Boston Bruins and ranks no worse than sixth league-wide in all the categories listed above.

Boston isn't as stout defensively as it was a season ago, but Swayman has been there to provide stability when needed and owns a .824 high-danger save percentage against a league average of .783, according to NHL EDGE. Swayman may receive some downballot Vezina votes if he keeps up his sterling stats, but he needs to take over full-time to be considered a true threat for hardware.

4. Connor Ingram, Coyotes

Previous rank: 4th

Ingram continues to be solid for the Coyotes as they chase down a playoff spot. The club is on the outside looking in for a wild-card berth but would be much worse off without its No. 1 netminder. Ingram is sporting magnificent numbers despite Arizona ranking 24th in shots against per game and 25th in five-on-five expected goals against per 60.

Although he's constantly being shellacked, Ingram's GSAx is fourth-best in the NHL and he's one of only six netminders with at least 25 appearances this season to boast a save percentage above .915. A hot streak to carry the Coyotes into the playoffs could generate some Vezina buzz for Ingram, but he'll likely settle for putting the league on notice with a truly impressive season that nobody predicted.

3. Joey Daccord, Kraken

Previous rank: N/A

Speaking of previously unheralded goaltenders who are making names for themselves this season, Daccord has been flat-out brilliant for the Kraken of late, owning a .934 save percentage in 22 appearances since the start of December. His emergence has resurrected the Kraken's playoff hopes after a miserable start to the campaign, and, like Ingram's heroics, can build a legitimate Vezina candidacy if Seattle makes it in on his back.

Daccord ranks top three in save percentage, goals against average, and goals saved above average for the year, and he's finding ways to rack up wins. His workload this season is by far the biggest of his career - he'd previously never started more than six games in a NHL campaign - so fatigue could become a factor down the stretch. Until it does, though, Daccord deserves to be in the Vezina conversation.

2. Thatcher Demko, Canucks

Previous rank: 2nd

We mentioned a pair of frontrunners sitting a step ahead of their peers in the Vezina race, and Demko is one of them. He's been a favorite for the award all season, and with Vancouver's playoff spot all but guaranteed at this point, it's hard to envision a path where its star goaltender isn't at least a finalist for the first time in his career.

Demko's case is cut-and-dry: he's dominating all the stats within our criteria, and he commands the crease for a first-place team. Unfortunately, the only goalie ahead of him is in a similar situation.

1. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets

Previous rank: 1st

The Canucks are ahead of the Jets in the standings, but Hellebuyck edges Demko in all other comparisons, making him the clear No. 1 for the second month in a row. Winnipeg's No. 1 gets a big boost over his Western Conference counterpart for his GSAx advantage and deserves recognition for going 28 consecutive appearances without allowing more than three goals.

Hellebuyck has been a beacon of consistency for the Jets this season and looks poised to be a Vezina finalist for the fourth time in the past seven campaigns. He had a fourth-place finish over than span and won the award in 2020 to cement his status as one of the best netminders in the world.

In contention: Stuart Skinner (Oilers), Jacob Markstrom (Flames), Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers), Cam Talbot (Kings), Tristan Jarry (Penguins)

(Stats source: Evolving-Hockey)

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The Vegas Golden Knights edged the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday night to snap their Pacific Division rival's 16-game winning streak.

The Oilers' run falls one win shy of matching the NHL's all-time record for consecutive victories, set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins. The 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets are the only other team in league history to win 16 straight games.

Edmonton got off to a promising start Tuesday, as superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid connected while shorthanded to open the scoring less than five minutes into the first period. Nicolas Roy equalized late in the frame, and Chandler Stephenson gave Vegas the lead in the third period before William Karlsson's empty-net dagger.

The Oilers outshot the Golden Knights 31-26 and owned a 33-19 advantage in scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, but Vegas goaltender Adin Hill proved up to the task.

Edmonton's streak began on Dec. 21, and Tuesday marked only the third occasion in which the club surrendered three goals in a game. The club is now 26-7-0 with a plus-50 goal differential since Kris Knoblauch took over as head coach in mid-November.

The Oilers' red-hot stretch dug them out of a daunting early-season hole, and they occupy the third spot in the Pacific. Edmonton is seven points back of Vegas for second place with five games in hand.

As it stands, the two clubs would meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Golden Knights eliminated the Oilers in the second round of the 2023 postseason.

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Sat Shah and Bik Nizzar breakdown the Canucks 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes highlighted by Elias Lindholm scoring twice in his Canucks debut. Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet (38:49), Elias Lindholm (1:04;30) and Quinn Hughes (1:27:25) post game. Plus Randip Janda (3:00) and Iain McIntyre 91:30:45) provide their analysis. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon was tossed from Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins for a hit to the head of opposing forward Noel Acciari.

Dillon caught Acciari up high against the glass early in the second period. The hit was so hard that it knocked Acciari's helmet off.

The officials gave Dillon a match penalty, which included a five-minute major.

The Winnipeg blue-liner has been suspended once in his career, serving one game for slashing in 2017.

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Sat and Dan tee up the Canucks' first game back after the All-Star break as Elias Lindholm will play his first game for the team since being traded along with discussing the salary cap situation for Vancouver this summer. The guys preview what a potential Team Canada could look like in a best on best tournament and consider where that stacks up against everyone. Irfaan Gaffar joins the show to further break down what Lindholm will bring to this team and talk through some intriguing lineup options that Coach Tocchet now has at his disposal. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Matt and Blake discuss whether the Canucks should continue the all-in trading, Elias Lindholm's debut with the Canucks, Arshdeep Bains winning AHL All-Star Game MVP, the development of Canucks prospects and the push from below, the futures of 5 players charged with sexual assault by London Police and how the NHL is giving their clubs capn relief, and the NHL trade deadline and there could well be more sellers and a buyer's market.

Frank Corrado stops by and tells us he loved Thatcher Demko snubbing Jeremy Swayman at the All-Star Game. We talk Rick Tocchet and Rod Brind'Amour, their styles of play, the debut of Elias Lindholm, his usage on the power play, the skills competition at All-Star weekend, whether the Canucks should make more all-in trades, and when teams know they're Stanley Cup good.

Rick Campbell joins and previews the B.C. Lions in free agency. The team is looking to add a veteran QB. It still wants to re-sign Canadian starters Matthieu Betts and Ben Hladik, and has the cap space to do so. Rick talks about re-signing their own free agents, the opportunity at hand for linebacker Josh Woods, and the need for another receiver to step up. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are getting another outdoor game.

Wrigley Field will host the 2025 Winter Classic, with the Blackhawks facing the St. Louis Blues, a source told the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope.

It'll be the second Winter Classic at the venue. The Blackhawks hosted the 2009 event at Wrigley Field, a 6-4 loss against the Detroit Red Wings. Boston's Fenway Park is the only other stadium to have hosted two Winter Classics.

The NHL is expected to officially announce the game on Wednesday, according to Pope.

The Blues and Blackhawks clashed in the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The hosts prevailed 4-1 over their rivals from Chicago.

The Blackhawks have participated in six outdoor games, most recently in the 2019 Winter Classic versus the Boston Bruins. It'll be the third time the Blues play outdoors.

Chicago will pass the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers for the most outdoor games in league history. Notably, the Blackhawks are 0-4 in Winter Classics and 1-5 overall in outdoor contests.

The Seattle Kraken shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in this season's Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park. It marked the first time since the event's inception in 2008 that it wasn't the most-viewed regular-season contest, according to Front Office Sports, as Connor Bedard's NHL debut drew a larger TV audience.

Chicago is mired in last place with a 14-32-2 record. Bedard, the 2023 first overall pick, leads the Blackhawks in scoring with 15 goals and 33 points in 39 games but has missed 11 games with a broken jaw sustained on Jan. 5.

The Blues are currently in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 26-21-2 record.

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We have a fun eight-game slate to look forward to on Tuesday night. Oddly enough, it's the top two teams in the NHL I see the most value in backing.

Let's take a closer look.

Flames (+155) @ Bruins (-185)

The Flames have been pretty competitive this season, hanging around a wild-card spot in a year where little was expected of them. It looks like things are about to take a turn for the worse, though.

They've struggled to keep up at five-on-five of late - the Flames own a 45 expected goals for percentage over the past three weeks - and their power play took a massive hit with the departure of Elias Lindholm. There isn't really a spot for them to make up ground.

Meanwhile, the Bruins continue to chug along like a well-oiled machine. They won seven of their last eight games before the All-Star break, with their only defeat coming against the Hurricanes in a contest that went down to the wire.

They continue to dominate teams at five-on-five, their special teams are excellent, and nobody can match their goaltending tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.

I see edges across the board for the Bruins. With home ice also in their favor, this is a game they should be able to win within 60 minutes.

Bet: Bruins in regulation (-130)

Canucks (+125) @ Hurricanes (-145)

The Canucks are firing on all cylinders. They own a ridiculous 8-0-2 record over the past 10 games and have controlled better than 55% of the expected goals share across all situations.

Vancouver is a very talented team with excellent finishing rates and goaltending. It's difficult to keep up with them if they're coming out even in the chance department, let alone consistently winning in that area. Life will be even tougher on opponents following the addition of Lindholm.

He addresses a need for them in the top six, providing another reliable scorer who's versatile and can play either center or wing. Lindholm also stands to upgrade a power play that already ranks sixth in the NHL in goals this season.

Although the Hurricanes are a good team with the defensive personnel to slow down the Canucks, I don't love their chances in this game.

Pyotr Kochetkov is having a respectable season, but he's made only three starts in 2024, in two of which he posted an .882 save percentage or worse. He doesn't hold a candle to Thatcher Demko.

Andrei Svechnikov is also not quite ready to return, meaning the Hurricanes will be playing without one of their two players averaging more than a point per game. That's not ideal when going up against an elite offensive team (or goaltender).

The Canucks recently closed as -125 favorites against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, implying a 55.6% win probability against a 58-point team. And they didn't have Lindholm in that game.

I don't see how the Canucks, now equipped with Lindholm, should carry an implied win rate of just 44.4% - an 11.2% decrease - against a 61-point Hurricanes team missing one of its best players in Svechnikov.

Bet: Canucks (+125)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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The NHL is back in full force on Tuesday night with a hefty eight-game slate.

Let's look at a few of the best ways to attack it.

David Pastrnak: Over 4.5 shots

Pastrnak is one of the most consistent volume shooters in the NHL, especially on home ice. He's averaged 5.4 shots on 10.5 attempts per game in Boston this season, helping him go over his total at an impressive 65% clip at home.

His shooting success should continue against the Flames. They're embracing a retool and starting to sell off key contributors, as we saw with Elias Lindholm. That means they'll spend less time on the front foot, which should help Pastrnak. So should home-ice advantage and the ability to get him away from Calgary's matchup line of Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund, and Blake Coleman.

An additional feather in the cap is that Pastrnak was recently put on a line with James van Riemsdyk. The former has averaged over 31 attempts per 60 minutes with van Riemsdyk on his opposite wing. That's a noticeable jump from the 24 he generates with Marchand on the other side.

With optimal linemates for individual shot generation and the ability to avoid Calgary's best defensive personnel, Pastrnak is well-positioned for another active offensive performance.

Odds: +100 (playable to -130)

Alex Ovechkin: Over 3.5 shots

Ovechkin just isn't having a great season. From his shot volume to his point outputs, his numbers are down across the board.

That said, he's still capable of strong shooting performances, and the Canadiens are the perfect team to bring one out of him.

They've bled shots all season and show no signs of improvement. The Canadiens rank dead last in five-on-five shot suppression over the past 10 games and struggle while undermanned. Montreal also takes a ton of penalties, which should give Ovechkin plenty of extra shooting opportunities in his prime location.

When the two sides met earlier this year, Ovechkin made the most of the matchup and generated five shots on eight attempts.

I expect a well-rested Ovechkin to take advantage of the Canadiens once again.

Odds: -122 (playable to -135)

Kyle Connor: Over 3.5 shots

Mark Scheifele is expected to return to the Jets' lineup tonight and reclaim his spot in the middle of the top line. That's good news for Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi, who have formed what looks to be an elite first unit in Winnipeg.

This trio spent a few games together early in the season and feasted on opponents, controlling 80% of the expected goals share while generating shots at an absurd clip.

A lot of those shots came from Connor, Winnipeg's best and most consistent shooting threat.

Unlike many snipers, he isn't negatively impacted by playing on the road. In fact, his volume - be it attempts or shots on goal - is higher on the road than in Winnipeg.

The Penguins can be vulnerable defensively and frequently play in high-event games. That should create an environment for Connor to make his mark.

Odds: +115 (playable to -120)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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