Hart Trophy (MVP)
Most people have been talking about Jaromir Jagr, but I have to give the nod to Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks. He has turned that franchise into a viable cup threat since he was traded there and single-handedly turned Jonathan Cheechoo into the Maurice Richard Trophy winner (most goals), winning the Ross Trophy (most points) for himself along the way. The guy had more assists (96) than most of the league had points (only 8 other players league-wide had more than 96 points).
Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie)
Hard to argue with Mikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames. He led the league in GAA (Goals Against Average) and Shutouts, was second in Wins and third in Save Percentage. He led the Flames to clinching a tough Northwest Division crown.
Calder Trophy (Best Rookie)
Starting the season, everyone talked about Sydney Crosby. At the end of the season, it's all about Alexander Ovechkin. I've seen this kid live four times this year and he is absolutely phenomenal. Just an amazing, explosive skater with incredibly soft hands and a bullish attitude. He's just fun to watch and has a true excitement for the game. I wish more players were like him. That being said, there were a lot of excellent rookies this year - an amazing number. Marek Svatos (COL), Brad Boyes (BOS), Dion Phaneuf (CAL), Henrik Lundqvist (NYR), Jussi Jokinen (DAL), Andrej Meszaros (OTT), and many others.
Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)
The cream always rises to the top - Nicklas Lidstrom, again. Year in and year out, this guy is simply the best defenseman in the game. He scores, he is always in position, he doesn't take penalties, he plays every situation and comes up big when needed. He is the model for how to play the position. No one is better. The funny thing about this award is that you can make a better case for Dion Phaneuf winning the Norris than you could for him winning the Calder. Strange but true.
Adams Award (Best Coach)
I have to stick close to home on this one and pick Peter Laviolette. A Hurricane squad that was picked to be next to last in the east finished next to first. A team that couldn't hit the net with a shotgun in years past put up an enormous amount of goals. This team is fun to watch and dangerous. Lindy Ruff (BUF) and Tom Renney (NYR) also deserve mention.
Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)
Again, I'm going to have to stick close to home and tout Rod Brind'Amour. The Captain has the most ice time in the league among all forwards (by about 2 minutes over the next guy), is third in the league in face-off percentage (having taken many more draws by a considerable margin), put up 70 points and a +8 rating playing against opposing teams top lines every night. The guy is an absolute beast and seems never to get tired. He plays in every situation, has 19 power play goals (top 10 in the league), and is a great leader.
Lady Byng (Most Gentlemanly Player)
This has always been a strange award. It's very subjective, obviously. The finalists this year are Daniel Alfredsson of the Senators, Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings, and Brad Richards of the Lightning. Just on a gut feeling, I have to go with Daniel Alfredsson - the Sens captain is a great player (his skating is amazing to watch if you pay attention) and a classy guy.
First Round Playoff Predictions
East
- Lightning (8) defeat Senators (1) in 7 - first round upset by the defending champs over the regular season champs in the East. Ottawa is missing Hasek still and that will come back to haunt them.
- Hurricanes (2) defeat Canadiens (7) in 4 - The Canes have absolutely owned the Habs this season and they are reeling after some late season debacles, notably dropping a three goal lead to the Devils in the third period of the regular season finale.
- Devils (3) defeat Rangers (6) in 6 - the Devils are playing extremely well right now - winners of 11 straight. They will be too much for the Rangers.
- Sabres (4) defeat Flyers (5) in 7 - this will be a rough series, but I think the Sabres will pull it out in the end. The Flyers have too many question marks with injuries (Forsberg, Primeau, others) and in goal.
West
- Red Wings (1) defeat Oilers (8) in 6 - this will be a tough first round matchup for the Wings, as the Oil always play them tough. They'll pull it out though.
- Stars (2) defeat Avalanche (7) in 4 - the Stars have been too good and will take Colorado down.
- Mighty Ducks (6) defeat Flames (3) in 7 - this one will be a barn burner. The Ducks will pull the upset.
- Sharks (5) defeat Predators (4) in 5 - the Sharks are the team that no one in the west wants a piece of. Thornton's line has been unstoppable and they're getting solid goaltending. They could go far.
No comments:
Post a Comment