National Hockey League (NHL) Players with most responsibility in Western Conference –Part 4
Leading your team to the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Finals is never an easy task, especially when they have not been there for over 20 years, but when the same is the case with the opposite team, and they are also lower than you in terms of
ranking, brining the cup back home becomes more of a compulsion than an option.
Roberto Luongo (Goalie, Vancouver Canucks)
Without a doubt, Roberto Luongo is one of the finest goalies to ever have graced the NHL ice but that does not mean he can choke under pressure and offer up no explanation for it.
The 32-year-old veteran deserves respect and should not be criticised for all of the blame, a lot of it was also his teams fault to, but still, it is extremely disappointing to see a player of his calibre and team of such excellent talent, lose in such an
awful and dreadful way.
Winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the best season record, Vancouver Canucks were on top of the NHL and only a few teams dared to even look them in the eye, of which Boston Bruins were not one of them. Entering the playoffs, Vancouver chocked constantly
against a weak Chicago Blackhawks in round-one, followed by the rowdy Nashville Predators, a good 4-1 series against San Jose Shark in Western Conference Finals but the finals brought another series of misses and mishaps.
Where Luongo has maintained a .928 save percentage throughout the entire regular season, he barely managed a .914 during the postseason, which was certainly not an improvement from his previous records.
Luongo is extremely talented and truly does have the abilities to lead Vancouver Canucks to their first Stanley Cup championship, something the entire city is beckoning for. Next season will certainly be a test for Roberto Luongo as the world watches and
sees where Vancouver is planning on heading next.
Anze Kopitar (Centre, Los Angeles Kings)
Anze Kopitar has single handily put Los Angeles Kings on the map of top NHL teams around the league. His captaincy and ability to put the puck the net at the young age of 24, still amazes people. Last season, LA was bound for greatness but due to a sudden
injury, Kopitar went out after playing only 75 games, but still registered an amazing 73 point (25 goals, 48 assists), with a plus-minus rating of 25.
The past postseason, Kings could have done much more with the NHL’s only Slovenian player but next season will give him another opportunity to shine brightly and work his way up to the top.
To be continued in part 5....
(The views expressed by the writer are his own and do not reflect the editorial policy of www.bettor.com)
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