1) FAUXRUMORS did their part in analyzing the first half for each team. However we figured we'd throw together our opinion of who should be the winners of the major individual NHL trophies if the season were to end today:
- Hart: Nicklas Lidstrom- We at first were leaning toward Roberto Luongo, and certainly the Canuck goalie deserves mention, but took a second look over at Lidstrom's numbers and couldn't merely make him our Norris winner, but the league MVP. We will probably do a post soon on what we feel is an MVP, but suffice to say Nicklas deserves to be recognized for doing his part in making his team the leader of the NHL. Some may simply look at point and goal totals, but much more should go into naming a Hart winner!
- Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom- (See above.) Even at age 37 excels at every aspect of his position. Last evening the Wings uncharacteristically lost 5-1, yet somehow Lidstrom managed to be a +1. Among league leaders in almost all categories for defensemen. Barring injury, almost a shoe-in for this award come June.
- Calder: Patrick Kane- The Buffalo, NY native was last summer's first over pick and he has lived up to the advanced billing. Along with team mate Jonathan Toews, has given hope to Blackhawk fans for the first time in a decade. Leading the league in rookie scoring (now that Toews has been hurt) is our pick for first half Calder winner.
- Vezina: Roberto Luongo- As we alluded to earlier Roberto was among the folks we considered for 1st half Hart winner. The 8 year NHL-er is among the leaders in wins, GAA, and save %. Where would Vancouver be without him? Probably down with Edmonton or worse! Honorable mention to Pascal Leclaire.
- Selke: Henrik Zetterberg- Traditionally This award to goes to a defensive forward with some offensive ability. Henrik is among the league leaders in scoring, but also +/-. Usually going up against the opposition's top line, Zetterberg has not only stopped them but by far outscored them. Honorable mention to Henrik's team mate Pavel Datsyuk who's numbers are equally impressive
- Adams: Ted Nolan- Anyone out there pick the Isles to make the playoffs? We sure didn't. Through a bit more than 1/2 the season and the boys from Long Island are in the 7th spot in the East, refusing to fade. We give full marks to Ted for getting the most of a lineup that on paper should not be in contention. Perhaps he won't be blackballed this time around?
10 comments:
Antz weighs in:
Hart - NICK LIDSTROM - I hate to agree with you on this one Faux, but this choice has become obvious over the last few weeks... Nick is amazing...
Norris - Certainly Lidstrom qualifies here as well, but I am going to opt for DION PHANEUF just to be different...
Calder - KANE is able... It is possible Patrick will split some votes with his teammate, and Niklas Backstrom can sneak in the back door... Not probable, but it would be interesting...
Vezina - The Devils suck, but they may win the Eastern Conference... MARTIN BRODEUR gets all the credit and another Vezina - annoying, huh?
Selke - MIKE FISHER deserves this trophy every year... He wins it in 08'...
Adams - TED NOLAN, unless the Washington Capitals eke out a playoff spot, then it HAS to be Bruce Boudreaux...
Solid choices in all categories. Lidstrom would deserve a Hart, and he should get it if he stays healthy.
1) Antz: Interesting option of choosing a different Norris and Hart winner. Not unlike our choice last season to give the MVP to Brodeur and Vezina to Luongo, or vise versa.
2) The interesting aspect to Mr. PHANEUF will be his contract! Can/will the Flames give him an Ovechkin/Richards-like contract?
3) Vakfan: Thanks. We agree that Nicklas deserves recognition, and now that Mr. Yzerman is no longer in the picture, this is his team!
Norris - Certainly Lidstrom qualifies here as well, but I am going to opt for DION PHANEUF just to be different...
As someone who watches this guy on a fairly regular basis, let me say : OVERRATED. He's not even the best defensive man on Calgary (That belongs to the Underrated Robyn Reghar)
Lidstrom's a lock, but if you're going to make a case for others... Zubov probably has the strongest case. He has more points (despite not having the offensive power to work with that Phaenuf does), plays more on the PK (because he's not as much of a Defensive liability) and controls a game much better than Phaenuf.
Just to drive home the point, Phaenuf was voted, by the players, 3rd on the list of most overrated NHLers, behind McCabe and Bertuzzi.
Dipietro's save % is only slightly below Luongo's, and he's faced the most shots in the league behind a vastly inferior defense compared to Luongo (or Brodeur, for that matter). Shutouts and GAA are equally a measure of TEAM defense. The Islanders are only 4 points from the Atlantic division lead - the toughest division by far in the NHL. Yet, they were picked by many to finish no better than 30th. How did they get to this position? Well, they have the 2nd fewest goals scored in the NHL, no legit 1st line forwards, a patchwork of defensemen which currently includes a twice-waived journeyman playing top-D minutes.
Gentlemen, I ask you... do not those stats just SCREAM Hart trophy for DP??? Vancouver without Luongo? The Sedins would still allow them to compete. Detroit without Lidstrom? Still the best team in the NHL!!!! The Islanders without Ricky?
I rest my case.
The Islanders are only 4 points from the Atlantic division lead - the toughest division by far in the NHL.
The Northwest division begs to differ (and the NW is 12-6-4 against the Atl, the Atl is 10-8-4 against the NW this season)
Nice try Jibble.
That's only a 2 game difference in spite of the fact that ALL the games between the two divisions were HOME games for the NW teams.
1) Sauce: Your DiPietro Hart candidacy certainly deserves merit/consideration. Certainly if they win the Atlantic behind his tending he would deserve to be a finalist.
2)Sauce/Jibble: Difficult to get a totally objective evaluation between divisions/conferences the way the schedule is constituted
3) That said, the West has a decided edge over the East of something like 80-60 or thereabouts in head to head contests so far.
4) Of course we can't supply how much of that disparity is from the apparently very weak SE division where a team might win the division with less than 90 points!
Dove-tailing sauces DiPietro comments. How can the league MVP ever not be a goalie? I mean its clearly the most inportant position on a team. No one can win without a good goalie, right? If the best goalie isn't doing the Most of any Player, who is?
1) Excellant point Vlad. We may use that idea as part of our next/upcoming post on MVP's and how is it determined
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