NHL Power Rankings: Roberto Luongo and 5 Goalies with the Biggest Expectations

Goaltenders are under so much pressure to win in the NHL, and many goalies are under immense pressure this season to carry their teams to the playoffs.

In addition to meeting their team's expectations, goalies have individual goals to meet too, and if those goals are not met, they could find themselves benched or released from their team's roster all together.

Let's look at five goalies with the biggest expectations in the 2011-12 NHL season.

Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets

Steve Mason was pulled from the Blue Jackets' 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, and that's a bad sign for him going forward.

After winning the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year in the 2008-09 season, Mason has struggled mightily the past two years, and his job is on the line.

Columbus made some great additions to their team this summer, and if Mason cannot get back to being a true No. 1 goalie, then he will be benched.

The Blue Jackets can't afford to wait out Mason's slump, because it may not end any time soon.

Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers

Ilya Bryzgalov has the Stanley Cup dreams of the Philadelphia Flyers riding on his shoulders.

After poor goaltending prevented them from winning the Cup the past few seasons, the Flyers made it a priority to find an elite goalie this summer, and they found one with Bryzgalov.

In Phoenix, Bryzgalov was the main reason the Coyotes surprisingly were a very good team, and his performance with the Flyers will be equally as important.

He played great against the Boston Bruins in a 2-1 opening night win, and will allow the Flyers to play more comfortably on defense.

It's Stanley Cup or bust in Philly, and Bryzgalov will be the reason they achieve that goal or fail.

James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs

James Reimer is the man who can help the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Reimer is a very good goalie who started the season off great with a 2-0 shutout win against the rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Reimer's development into possibly a star goaltender will be a crucial part of the Maple Leafs' season.

Having a solid goaltender who can consistently give them a chance to win has been a struggle for the team, but Reimer seems to be the real deal.

Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning

Dwayne Roloson is the key to the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup chances this season. At 41 years of age, Roloson must carry the strong play he showed during the 2011 NHL playoffs into this season.

The Lightning did not go out and sign or trade for a young goalie, so Roloson will shoulder the burden in net again this season.

The Lightning have the all-around talent, especially on offense, to get to the Cup Final, and the play of Roloson will be the deciding factor in if they get the chance to lift the Cup for the first time since 2004.

Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

Roberto Luongo's struggles in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins is a memory he will carry into this season, and he has to mentally block that out and focus on this task at hand this year, which is get back to the Cup Final.

The Vancouver Canucks are once again a Cup contender, and Luongo will be the reason they succeed or fail.

He has to win big games and not just big playoff games—big regular season games against teams who the Canucks could see in the playoffs.

Roberto Luongo is a great regular season goaltender, but there is not one player with more pressure to perform in the clutch this season than Luongo.

He has to prove he can beat quality opponents consistently—and not just at home, but on the road as well.

For updates on all Bruins news throughout the season, follow Nick Goss on Twitter. Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.