NHL: 10 Goaltenders Under the Most Pressure to Perform for the 2013 Season

Goaltender is arguably the most pressure-packed position in sports, and anyone who dons goalie equipment and plays in the NHL is under incredible pressure.

Every goalie knows that if he plays superb hockey then he gives his team a chance to win on any given night. He also knows that if he plays poorly, his team will likely have no chance, even if the rest of his teammates are playing well.

So there is no doubt that every goalie is under pressure in the NHL.

However, here's a look at 10 goalies who will be facing the most pressure this season.

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask is the undisputed No. 1 goalie for the Boston Bruins.

Tim Thomas has decided to take this season off (h/t Pro Hockey Talk), so Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Claude Julien simply had to look across the lockerroom and wink at Rask to let him know that he would be the team's starter.

Rask was sensational in 2009-10 when he had to play 45 games in the Bruins' goal after Thomas suffered a hip injury. Rask had a 1.97 goals against average and a .931 save percentage during that time, both of which led the league.

Rask's playoff form that season was not quite as good, though. He was in net for a first-round series victory over Buffalo, but he also has the Bruins' infamous 3-0 collapse against the Flyers in the next round on his resume.

So Rask has excellent tools and plenty of experience, but he has to prove that he can play solid goal for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Remember, Thomas won two Vezina Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2011, so Rask certainly has a lot to live up to.

The pressure should magnify as the season moves along and the playoffs approach.

Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers want to see a consistent performance from Ilya Bryzgalov this season.

The Flyers have been been lacking on the goaltending front for years. They brought in Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes prior to last season in order to steady the ship, and he gave them an up-and-down performance.

His overall numbers were acceptable—2.48 GAA and a .909 save percentage—but there were too many games where he did not perform at a high enough level.

The Flyers are thought of as one of the best offensive teams in the Eastern Conference, but there are problems on the blue line, so they need a steady and consistent effort from Bryzgalov for the team to live up to expectations.

Anders Lindback, Tampa Bay Lightning

Anders Lindback is viewed as something of a savior in Tampa.

The Lightning were one of the top stories in the league in 2010-11 when they got to the Eastern Conference Finals, thanks to the explosive scoring and all-around play of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.

But they also got surprisingly good goaltending from Dwayne Roloson and Mike Smith that year. Roloson is now retired and Smith is currently in Phoenix.

The Lightning fell backwards last year and did not even make the playoffs. So, this summer, they acquired the 6'6" Lindback from the Nashville Predators for two prospects and a draft choice in order to solidify their play in the net.

Lindback played 38 games in two seasons with the Preds and is viewed as a solid performer.

"He's relatively inexperienced, but we think he has tremendous potential," general manager Steve Yzerman told USA  Today. "We gave up a significant amount to get him, but there weren't a lot of options, so we paid a hefty price, but we thought the return was worth it. We feel he's ready, and in talking to him, he is excited about the opportunity to take on more."

However, he is unproven as a No. 1 goalie and must step up and help the Lightning become a playoff team once again.

Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

The sheen is off the Chicago Blackhawks.

It's been three years since they won the Stanley Cup, and while the team has explosive talent up front, there are questions about the defense and the goaltending, in particular.

There's no more warm and fuzzy feelings that come with the 2010 Stanley Cup triumph. That's merely a historical achievement.

The Blackhawks and their fans want to see another Stanley Cup, and they will need a much better performance from Corey Crawford in goal than they have gotten to this point.

Crawford was not good enough in the playoffs last season, specifically when he gave up two soft overtime goals in the Blackhawks' first-round loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Instead of playing his best hockey when his team needed him most, Crawford fell apart.

The Blackhawks will need to make a major change if that happens again this season.

Devan Dubnyk, Edmonton Oilers

Is there any team that has a brighter future than the Edmonton Oilers?

The Oilers are not a finished product by any means, but they throw Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz at opponents on an every-night basis.

How soon the Oilers arrive and become an upper-echelon team depends largely on the play of their overall defense and goaltending.

Dubnyk still has much to prove. He had a 2.67 goals against average and a .914 save percentage in 47 games last year.

If he can build off of that performance, the Oilers should become playoff contenders this season.

Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes

There's nothing wrong with Cam Ward's goaltending once the Carolina Hurricanes make the playoffs.

He led them to the 2006 Stanley Cup in his first postseason appearance and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. Ward even won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his performance in 2006.

However, those are the Hurricanes' lone playoff appearances during the first seven years of his career.

He has been a good-but-not-great regular season goaltender. He has a 2.75 career goals against average and a .910 career save percentage.

The Hurricanes need a better performance than that if they are going to make the playoffs this year. Ward needs to pick it up or head coach Kirk Muller will not be happy with him.

Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild jumped up into the NHL's elite during the offseason with their much ballyhooed signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

As a result, the Wild are expected to make the playoffs this year and possibly make some noise once they get there.

Niklas Backstrom has been viewed as a good goalie on an ordinary team, but now the pressure has intensified on Backstrom.

If the Wild are going to live up to expectations, Backstrom is going to have to come through in the big games that his team was never in a position to play in the past.

Backstom has a 2.42 career goals against average and a .918 save percentage. He needs to perform at that level or better this season to help the Wild accomplish their goals.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the most talented rosters in the NHL, and they are expected to compete with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins for Eastern Conference dominance this season.

Sidney Crosby is healthy again, Evgeni Malkin is coming off an MVP season and supporting cast members like James Neal and Kris Letang would be superstars if they were on other teams.

But if the Penguins are going to accomplish their goals this year, they need a great season from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Specifically, they need a big season from him in the playoffs. While the Penguins' defense collapsed around him last spring, he was awful with a 4.63 goals against average and a .834 save percentage.

Fleury has had a save percentage beneath .900 for the Penguins' in the last three postseason forays.

That is not good enough for a team capable of winning it all.

Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

Cory Schneider has been designated as the Vancouver Canucks' No. 1 goalie.

Roberto Luongo's inconsistencies in big games paved the way for Schneider's ascension to the throne.

However, Schneider's stay at the top could be a short one if he does not perform well because the Canucks may be what the Montreal Canadiens used to be: Canadian hockey's royalty.

The Canucks are Canada's best NHL franchise and they are the closest thing Canada has to a potential Stanley Cup winner.

That means Schneider must perform at a consistently high level.

Things did not start off so well when Schneider was replaced in the opening game of the 2013 season by Luongo. So it may be the case that Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis must move Luongo, sooner rather than later, if he wants to improve the work environment for Schneider.

Toronto Goaltenders

Ben Scrivens has gotten the start for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the team's first two games of the season.

He split his first two decisions, as he picked up a victory over the Montreal Canadiens and lost to the Buffalo Sabres. He has a 1.53 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.

James Reimer is the No. 2 goalie at this point, and he will get his chance to play this season as wll. Reimer has been ordinary throughout his career, recording a 3.10 GAA and a .900 save percentage last year.

However, it may not be Scrivens or Reimer in the net for the Leafs in a majority of games this year. The Leafs have been heavily involved with the Roberto Luongo trade rumors since the end of last season's playoffs (h/t ESPN).

The fact of the matter is, whoever ends up in the Toronto net will be facing significant pressure as the goaltender for one of the most high-profile franchises in the NHL.