Sergei Bobrovsky's incredible regular season is going to earn him some hardware.
While it may not be the hardware he (or the team) is looking for, post-season awards are impressive nonetheless and the Blue Jackets have the NHL Awards show surrounded. Bobrovsky was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, given annually to the player judged to be most valuable to his team, on Monday night.
Given what Bobrovsky did this season, his nomination is not as surprising as it is eye-opening to see the players he's sharing company with: NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and league-leading goal scorer Sidney Crosby are the other two finalists.
Bobrovsky is the first Blue Jacket in franchise history to be nominated for the Hart Trophy. Stick taps for Bob, indeed.
Bobrovsky, who is also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, posted a 41-17-5 record, 2.06 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and seven shutouts in 63 games this season, leading the NHL in GAA and SV% and ranking third in wins and shutouts (tied). He led Columbus to a 50-24-8 record and 108 points, which is the best mark in club history and a 32-point improvement over 2015-16 when the Blue Jackets went 34-40-8 (76 pts.).
According to the club, Bobrovsky's 14-game personal win streak from Nov. 29 to Jan. 3 is the second-longest in league history. He also tied a franchise record with three straight shutouts from Mar. 2-7.
