NHL Playoffs 2011: Alex Ovechkin and the Top 5 Postseason Chokers

As the playoffs begin each spring, the dreams and hopes of entire cities rest on the shoulders of NHL players.  With each round of postseason play that passes, more players fail to meet expectations, and criticism from fans and the media gets poured upon the key players of each losing team.  

Right or wrong, the game's top players face the most intense criticism when their teams fail to deliver in the playoffs.  Star players like Alexander Ovechkin are lauded for their accomplishments, but they are subjected to the most scrutiny when their teams endure early playoff exits.  

Great regular-season teams don't always have an easy time transitioning to a more physical style of play in the playoffs, and for that reason, upsets are more frequent in the NHL than almost any other major North American sports league.  Squads like the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks, this year's final two teams in the West, have emerged as Stanley Cup contenders, but only after a decade of frustratingly-early playoff exits.  

WIth that being said, here are the top five biggest chokers in recent hockey history.  

5. Patrick Lalime

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KANATA, ON - APRIL 18: Goalie Patrick Lalime #40 of the Ottawa Senators protects the net during game six of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Corel Centre on April 18, 2004 in Kanata, Ontario. The Senators defeat

While Patrick Lalime may not be nearly as big of a name as most of the other players on this list, he earned a spot with a couple of devastatingly-disappointing playoff performances in the 2000s. Ottawa Senators fans won't soon forget the egg that Lalime laid for Game 7 of the Sens' opening-round matchup with the rival Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004.  

With the top-seeded Senators outplaying Toronto badly through six games, Lalime saved his worst game of the playoffs for the series finale.  Lalime was beat by three, weak goals in the first period, and was pulled before the first intermission. From there, Ottawa continued its trend of disappointing playoff exits, and Lalime was sent to St. Louis by the Senators' management. 

Unfortunately for Lalime, he never really got another chance to start in the NHL after he was cut loose by Ottawa. He spent time in the AHL, and has become a serviceable NHL backup, but he will likely be remembered as the weak link on some extremely-talented Ottawa Senators teams in the early millennium.

4. Alexander Ovechkin

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TAMPA, FL - MAY 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals arrives for the game between the Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the St Pete Times Forum on

By the numbers, Alex Ovechkin has performed admirably during each playoff series of his career. This spring, Ovechkin was arguably the Capitals' best player over the course of their two playoff series, but Washington still fell short in very anti-climatic fashion. Unfortunately for the Russian superstar, nothing he does in the regular season will be enough to silence his critics, as he's been upstaged by many of his peers in the postseason.  

In 2009, with an opportunity on home ice to send Sidney Crosby's Penguins packing, Ovechkin came up empty as Crosby notched two goals and Pittsburgh destroyed the Capitals in Game 7 by a score of 6-2. In 2010, with the Caps up three games to one on Montreal, the Capitals dropped three-straight games, including two on home ice, as they were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Canadiens in the first round.  

This year, with the Capitals appearing poised to vanquish their playoff demons, Ovechkin helped the Capitals eliminate the Rangers in five games. However, what followed may have been the most embarrassing playoff defeat of Ovechkin's career, as the top-seeded Capitals were promptly swept out of the playoffs by a surging Tampa Bay Lightning team.  

There is no question that Ovechkin is among the most talented and exciting players of all-time, but his place among the greatest to ever lace up a pair of skates will almost assuredly depend on his ability to win a Stanley Cup before his career is over. A two-time league MVP at age 25, there's obviously a great deal of time for Ovechkin, but he and his Capitals have a long way to go before Ovechkin's critics will be silenced.  

3. Eric Lindros

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2 Dec 1999: Eric Lindros #88 of the Philadelphia Flyers looks on during the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Flyers defeated the Sabres 4-2.

Like Ovechkin, Lindros' inability to win a Cup probably has more to do with the play of his teammates than his own performance, but for a player with the type of expectations that the 'Big E' had, he never quite delivered in the postseason. Eric Lindros is one of the most polarizing figures the game has ever seen, but there is no questioning the level of talent the big playmaker had.  

Lindros was unlike any player the NHL had ever seen, as he could skate, score and hit with equal proficiency. During the early stages of his career, Lindros dominated, as he won a Hart Trophy in just his third season. His best shot at a Stanley Cup came in 1997, as Lindros led his Flyers to the Finals, where they took on the Detroit Red Wings as the heavy favorite.  

Unfortunately for Lindros and Philadelphia, the Flyers were manhandled by Detroit, and were swept in four games by the more experienced Red Wings. From there, Lindros' health deteriorated rapidly, and he never reached his potential as a player. While he did win a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2002 Olympics, many wonder what could have been if only Lindros had been able to stay healthy.  

While Lindros is often judged unfairly because he was seen as a somewhat selfish superstar (he demanded trades on more than one occasion), it remains painfully obvious that he had all the tools to win at least one Stanley Cup, and possessed the potential to win many more.  

2. Roberto Luongo

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SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 20: Goaltender Roberto Luongo #1 of the Vancouver Canucks looks back at the puck in the net after Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks' breakaway goal in the first period in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the

In many cases, goaltenders are blamed, fairly or not, for their teams' shortcomings in the playoffs, and in Vancouver that's been the story for the last decade. Before Roberto Luongo's time, the Canucks relied on journeyman Dan Cloutier, which yielded mixed results, but obviously no Stanley Cup Finals appearances. So in the summer of 2006, the Canucks dealt for one of the most dominant regular-season goalies in the world, sending troubled star Todd Bertuzzi to Florida for franchise netminder Roberto Luongo. 

Luongo was supposed to be a calming presence in net, and was hailed as the man who would help the Canucks reach the next level in the postseason. Fast forward five years, and the Canucks have not yet reached a Stanley Cup Final with Luongo (though that may change within the next week). They have a slew of skilled forwards, including back-to-back scoring champions in Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They also boast what's become likely the best defensive corps in the league, but for some reason they continue to fall short in clutch situations.  

Luongo was shelled by the Chicago Blackhawks in each of the past two postseasons, before finally conquering his demons in seven games this spring. While he is the team's best player on many nights, Luongo has had confidence issues in each of his last three postseason appearances. Though Luongo and the Canucks eventually eliminated Chicago in the first round of this year's playoffs, it wasn't before Luongo got pulled twice and was relegated to backup duties for Game 6 of the series before returning when Corey Schneider went down with an injury.  

If Luongo and the Canucks can finally get over the hump, which looks likely considering they need just one win to advance, only then will he take his place among the best goaltenders of all-time. Until then, he will be remembered as a spectacular regular-season goalie with a penchant for folding during pressure-filled situations. 

1. Joe Thornton

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SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 12: Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks celebrates after they beat the Detroit Red Wings in Game Seven of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion on May 12, 2011 in San Jose, Califo

Like Roberto Luongo, Joe Thornton has an opportunity to shed his reputation for being a star player who fails to deliver in the playoffs. For the second-consecutive season, Thornton has lead the San Jose Sharks to the Western Conference Finals, which would be a huge accomplishment for most players. However, Thornton isn't most players, and more is expected of him, especially after some of the dominant regular-season performances he's put together over the years.  

It isn't just that Thornton's Sharks have lost in the playoffs year after year. It's also that he hasn't performed nearly as well as he has in the regular season. While 'Jumbo Joe' is primarily a pass-first player, he has been a non-factor in too many of San Jose's disappointing playoff series, and has yet to score more than four goals in a single playoffs. 

During the regular season, Thornton's level of production has been virtually unmatched by any other player of his era. However, he has failed to meet that level of excellence in the playoffs, as seen during his two 100-point seasons in 2006 and 2007, when he tallied a combined three goals in 22 playoff games.  

Like many other players, Thornton's legacy as one of the greatest of all-time will be incomplete until he finally hoists the Cup. As the captain of the Sharks, he's the heart of the team, and San Jose needs him to find the net if the Sharks are ever to get over the hump. In playoffs' past, Thornton has rarely been the team's best player when they needed him most. Last year, it was Joe Pavelski. At other times, it's been everyone from the frequently-criticized Patrick Marleau to 38-year old Jeremy Roenick, but Thornton has come up short in almost every big game.  

People wouldn't expect more out of the big, personable centerman if he hadn't shown on occasion that he's capable of being the game's most dominant player. While there's no question that he'll go down as one of the best offensive players of his generation, he'll have to find a way to win a Stanley Cup if he wants to be remembered as more than that, and time's starting to run out for Thornton.