This years Vezina Trophy nominee's come to no surprise. The goaltenders placed in as the top-three finishers in goals-against average, top four in save percentage, and each had a dramatic influence on how well their team performed in this years Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, Rinne from the Nashville Predators, and Thomas of the Boston Bruins stand as the class of 2011 for the Vezina, the annual award that is given to the goaltender who is judged to be the best at his position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs.
In the mind of many, Tim Thomas is the likely favorite for the award. A humble and honest athlete you know what you will get when you have Thomas on your team. Ask any coach, the goaltender you want in net is one who can steal games, well this guy did just that. Breaking the old mark set by Dominik Hasek, Thomas set a new standard with a .938 save percentage. His reliable partner Tuukka Rask helped balance the workload in net as Thomas played 57 games in the regular season. The 217th overall pick in the 1994 NHL draft also had the best Goals Against Average with 2.00. Hmm... did I forget to mention that he had 9 shutouts.
Vancouver hero, Roberto Luongo, finished first in the league in the wins category with 38 in 60 games. Helping his team win the President's Trophy and setting a franchise record in both victories and points, he also helped achieve a personal best of posting a career low 2.11 GAA. Corey Schnedier helped provide strong stability helping Luongo balance the load of games during the season, and the pressure that he has faced in seasons past. All in all, Luo has continued to show his ability to perform at the NHL stage by moving his team and himself to new heights.
Lastly, the large 6'5" Finnish netminder Pekka Rinne is also up for the award. Playing with a team that was known for their struggling offense Rinne finished with a 33-22-9 record through the regular season that helped push the Nashville Predators into 5th place. By seasons end he placed 2nd within the league in Save Percentage with .930 and had a 2.12 GAA to be ranked 3rd. With Rinne passing alumni Mike Dunham for second place on the franchise's all-time wins list the preds feel the value within their young netminder heading into future.
There is the run down on the 3 goalies up for this years Vezina. Let us know your pick! The 2011 Awards take place in Las Vegas, tomorrow on June 22nd.
In the mind of many, Tim Thomas is the likely favorite for the award. A humble and honest athlete you know what you will get when you have Thomas on your team. Ask any coach, the goaltender you want in net is one who can steal games, well this guy did just that. Breaking the old mark set by Dominik Hasek, Thomas set a new standard with a .938 save percentage. His reliable partner Tuukka Rask helped balance the workload in net as Thomas played 57 games in the regular season. The 217th overall pick in the 1994 NHL draft also had the best Goals Against Average with 2.00. Hmm... did I forget to mention that he had 9 shutouts.
Vancouver hero, Roberto Luongo, finished first in the league in the wins category with 38 in 60 games. Helping his team win the President's Trophy and setting a franchise record in both victories and points, he also helped achieve a personal best of posting a career low 2.11 GAA. Corey Schnedier helped provide strong stability helping Luongo balance the load of games during the season, and the pressure that he has faced in seasons past. All in all, Luo has continued to show his ability to perform at the NHL stage by moving his team and himself to new heights.
Lastly, the large 6'5" Finnish netminder Pekka Rinne is also up for the award. Playing with a team that was known for their struggling offense Rinne finished with a 33-22-9 record through the regular season that helped push the Nashville Predators into 5th place. By seasons end he placed 2nd within the league in Save Percentage with .930 and had a 2.12 GAA to be ranked 3rd. With Rinne passing alumni Mike Dunham for second place on the franchise's all-time wins list the preds feel the value within their young netminder heading into future.
There is the run down on the 3 goalies up for this years Vezina. Let us know your pick! The 2011 Awards take place in Las Vegas, tomorrow on June 22nd.
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