John Tavares is getting a lot of the attention for the New York Islanders' remarkable season in which they have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2006-07.
While the praise for Tavares is well deserved since he's a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate, the most valuable player on the Islanders is arguably starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.
The 37-year-old veteran joined the Islanders last season after spending 2010-11 in the KHL, and he has given this team the stability in net that it hasn't had for a very long time.
One of the Islanders' biggest weaknesses since the 2004-05 lockout has been goaltending (see chart below), which is why it's not surprising that this franchise has reached the postseason only one time in the last eight years.
Year GAA
2011-12 3.06 (27th)
2010-11 3.15 (27th)
2009-10 3.15 (28th)
2008-09 3.34 (28th)
Nabokov's stats this season won't jump out at you, but when you consider the lack of talent and depth in front of him on New York's blue line, the Russian goaltender has certainly made the most of his opportunities this season.
He has a 23-11-6 record with a 2 ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
Can Evgeni Nabokov Win a Playoff Series for the New York Islanders?
April 25th, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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