Luongo, Rinne and Thomas finalists for Vezina
Posted April 22, 2011 12:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins are the three finalists for the 2010-11 Vezina Trophy, the National Hockey League announced Friday.
Luongo, a Vezina finalist for a third time, backstopped the Canucks to their finest regular season in franchise history, capturing the Presidents’ Trophy for best record. Luongo went 38-15-7 in 60 appearances, posting the lowest team goals-against average (2.20) and registering the best goals-against average in his 11-year NHL career.
Rinne played a critical role in securing the Predators’ sixth playoff berth in the past seven seasons. In 64 games, he registered career-best totals in all major categories, going 33-22-9 with a 2.12 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and six shutouts.
Thomas, who bounced back after undergoing off-season hip surgery, enjoyed a record-setting season. He broke a club record by winning his first eight decisions, a record set by Tiny Thompson in 1937-38. He won his first nine road games — becoming the first NHL goaltender to do so since Chicago’s Glenn Hall in 1965-66.
