The Cobra
04-22-2011, 04:45 PM
Canadian Press
NEW YORK -- Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the NHL's top goaltender.
Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins are the other award finalists, as announced by the league on Friday.
The winner will be announced at the NHL awards banquet June 22 in Las Vegas.
Luongo was a big reason why Vancouver finished the regular season with the NHL's best record. He posted a 38-15-7 record in 60 appearances and a career-best 2.11 goal-against average to go with a .928 save percentage.
Luongo is a Vezina finalist for the third time, finishing second in voting in 2007 and third in 2004.
Rinne had a 33-22-9 record with Nashville this season, posting a 2.12 GAA and .930 save percentage and six shutouts in 64 games. He was second among NHL goaltenders in save percentage and third in goals-against average.
Thomas enjoyed a banner campaign following off-season hip surgery. He won his first eight decisions, a Bruins team record, and became the first NHL goalie to win his first nine road games since Chicago's Glenn Hall in 1965-66.
The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner had a league-best 2.00 GAA and posted a 35-11-9 record and .938 save percentage, eclipsing Dominik Hasek's .937 mark with Buffalo in 1998-99 as the best since the statistic was introduced in 1976-77.
Cobra.................Sure fire pick..Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
NEW YORK -- Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the NHL's top goaltender.
Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins are the other award finalists, as announced by the league on Friday.
The winner will be announced at the NHL awards banquet June 22 in Las Vegas.
Luongo was a big reason why Vancouver finished the regular season with the NHL's best record. He posted a 38-15-7 record in 60 appearances and a career-best 2.11 goal-against average to go with a .928 save percentage.
Luongo is a Vezina finalist for the third time, finishing second in voting in 2007 and third in 2004.
Rinne had a 33-22-9 record with Nashville this season, posting a 2.12 GAA and .930 save percentage and six shutouts in 64 games. He was second among NHL goaltenders in save percentage and third in goals-against average.
Thomas enjoyed a banner campaign following off-season hip surgery. He won his first eight decisions, a Bruins team record, and became the first NHL goalie to win his first nine road games since Chicago's Glenn Hall in 1965-66.
The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner had a league-best 2.00 GAA and posted a 35-11-9 record and .938 save percentage, eclipsing Dominik Hasek's .937 mark with Buffalo in 1998-99 as the best since the statistic was introduced in 1976-77.
Cobra.................Sure fire pick..Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins