Bishop, Harding highlight mid-season goalie awards

The NHL season is now halfway in the books, with all 30 teams having played at least 41 games (43 to be exact). And you know what that means: time to hand out our mid-season goalie awards. We'll break down the best saves and worst flubs of the tailors of the tangled twine (as Joe Bowen would say.)

MVG (Most Valuable Goalie): Ben Bishop

After a breakout season with the Senators and Lightning a year ago, Bishop has reached new heights this season. The 27-year-old leads the league in save percentage at .935, is tied for second in goals-against average (1.86) and third in wins (22) for high-flying Tampa Bay, winners of seven of its last 10. How important how goaltending been? Nine of those games have been decided by two goals or fewer, and Bishop has started in six of them.

LVG (Least Valuable Goalie): Devan Dubnyk

Among NHL starters, Dubnyk ranks lowest in save percentage (.895) and goals against average (3.31). Save for his rookie season, Dubnyk is posting career lows in every statistic. No wonder Edmonton has allowed the most goals in the NHL at 161 - 12 more than the closest team.

Biggest surprise: Josh Harding

The 29-year-old Canadian played just five games last season after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in September 2012, but has taken over the No. 1 spot from Nicklas Backstrom in Minnesota this season after an amazing first half. Harding has posted a league-best 1.65 goals-against average and owns the fifth-best save percentage (.933).

Biggest Disappointment: Craig Anderson

Given what Anderson accomplished last year, big things were expected of the 32-year-old. He finished last season first in goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.941), and was a serious contender for the Vezina. But his 3.18 goals-against average and .903 save percentage are in the bottom five this year; he has already doubled last year's goals against while playing just six more games.

Save of the year: Reto Berra

Reto Berra? More like Retro Berra. The Flames goalie looks like vintage Martin Brodeur by stacking the pads to make an awesome stop on Jack Johnson:

Oddity of the Year: Mike Smith

This is really weird. Here, the puck actually flies in the air, landing right in Smith's pants. Unfortunately, Smith didn't know that and pays the ultimate price:

Lucky bounce of the year:  Sergei Bobrovsky

In this Russia versus Russia battle, the Blue Jackets goaltender gets beat short side but the post bails him out - twice:

Unlucky bounce of the year: Jonathan Quick

As Quick leaves the crease to play a routine puck, it takes a bounce for the worse and ends up in the back of his own net. The reaction says it all:

Best goalie fight: Ray Emery vs. Braden Holtby

Emery has worn three different boxer-themed masks (Mike Tyson, George Chuvalo and Muhammad Ali) and has dropped the gloves seven times since his junior days with the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. This time, Holtby gets the worst of it: