I don't get to vote on NHL awards (and it's a shame), but I like to play pretend every now and then. So I'm going to go through my 3 finalists and then choose a winner.
Lady Byng: Player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.
Loui Eriksson - One of the Dallas Stars All-Stars this year, Eriksson put up 27 goals and 73 points. But he only had 8 PIM all season. Talk about a clean player.
Martin St. Louis - St. Louis took home the Lady Byng last year with 94 points and 12 PIM. This year, St. Louis has 99 points and 12 PIM again. It's possible he could take home the award this year again.
Patrick Marleau - Marleau is the only other player in the top 30 in scoring to have under 20 PIM. He has 16 PIM to go along with 73 points.
Winner - Martin St. Louis. He has 26 more points than both of his competitors and is right in the middle of them in PIMs. That is the perfect combination of gentlemanly conduct and a high standard of playing. No doubt St. Louis wins again this year.
Jack Adams: Awarded to the National Hockey League coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success.
Randy Carlyle - The Ducks last year had the 7th overall pick. This year, they're the #4 seed in the West. Nobody expected Anaheim to be here and credit has to go to Carlyle for getting this group here.
Barry Trotz - Every year, Barry Trotz is always considered for the Jack Adams. Patric Hornqvist struggled this year (if you don't know who he is, he scored 30 goals last year), and the team looks like bunch of rejects other than the defense corps. Trotz has had this team overachieving throughout his tenure as the Nashville coach. It's about time he get's some recognition.
Dan Bylsma - At the risk of sounding like a homer, Dan Bylsma is a Jack Adams candidate. Without two all world talents for half of the year, Bylsma not only kept the team afloat, they contended for their division. Without Bylsma's coaching, the Pens should have been done this season.
Winner - Randy Carlyle. The Ducks literally came out of nowhere. He took the nothing team they were and made them into Stanley Cup contenders. Yes, Corey Perry had something to do with it, but Carlyle had this group overachieving this season to reach the playoffs.
Calder Memorial: Awarded to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.
Corey Crawford - With Marty Turco the starter for the season, Crawford out played Turco, reaching 33 wins in his rookie season. Without Crawford, the Blackhawks would have floundered and not even made the playoffs.
Jeff Skinner - Skinner had the most points of all rookies and the third most goals. His team didn't make the playoffs but points wise he was the best rookie.
Logan Couture - Couture had the second most goals and the second most points out of all rookies. He played a minute more per game than Skinner and won over 50% of his faceoffs. His play kept the Sharks afloat over a rough middle part of the season.
Winner - Logan Couture. The award isn't for most valuable rookie, otherwise, Crawford would have won. Couture barely edges Skinner in my mind. While Skinner did have more points, Couture clearly grasped the center position more than Skinner did by winning more faceoffs, having a better +/-, and his coach trusted him more giving him nearly 18 minutes of playing time a night.
Frank J. Selke: Awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.
Ryan Kesler - Kesler averages 2:33 minutes on the penalty kill per game, he's a +24 and he had 3 shorthanded goals. He gets the defensive zone and he might be the best defensive #2 center in the game.
Claude Giroux - Giroux averages 2:06 minutes on the penalty kill and has 7 shorthanded points for a Flyers team that is know to have a scoring penalty kill. His +20 means he is responsible in his own zone, but he mostly plays on the wing, leaving him less responsible than the other two candidates.
Anze Kopitar - Kopitar averages 2:03 minutes on the penalty kill per game and still plays big offensive minutes for the Kings. He's a +25 and a two way force.
Winner - Ryan Kesler. He's too good to not win this award. He averages the most time on the PK out of the top 30 scorers in the league. He makes his defense into offense and that's why he's so successful.
Norris: Awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.
Kris Letang - Letang has been a career minus player but has turned it around this year. He plays 24:02 minutes a night, 4:28 of those on the power play and 2:08 on the penalty kill. The 50 points doesn't hurt either.
Shea Weber - Weber is the best defenseman on a great defensive team. He plays 25:14 minutes a night, with 3:38 coming on the power play and 2:06 on the penalty kill. He's a +7 on a team that doesn't score much but that doesn't make him any worse.
Nick Lidstrom - Lidstrom is a ridiculous man. He averages about 23:28 minutes a night, playing 4 minutes on the power play and 2:40 minutes on the penalty kill. Throw in 62 points and he still has it. The -2 hurts a little bit though.
Winner - Shea Weber. You may be confused to find no Keith Yandle or Lubomir Visnovsky. Well they play almost no shorthanded minutes. Shea Weber is the best defenseman in the league this year but probably won't get any votes whatsoever.
Vezina: Awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is adjudged to be the best at this position.
Tim Thomas - The elder statesman of the group, Tim Thomas is looking for his second Vezina trophy. He has the NHL record for save percentage in a season, .938, and boasts the lowest goals against average of 2.00. Factor in the 35 wins and 9 shutouts and you have your Vezina winner.
Roberto Luongo - The #1 goalie on the #1 team in the league. Luongo has a .928 save percentage and a 2.11 goals against as well as 38 wins and 4 shutouts. Most years, that's good enough to win, but not this year because of Tim Thomas's legendary season.
Pekka Rinne - Rinne has great numbers on a team that has little offensive prowess. His .930 save percentage is second in the league and his goals against average of 2.12 is third, not to mention his 33 wins and 6 shutouts. But it was not meant to be this year.
Winner - Tim Thomas. I know I ruined the surprise for you but if he doesn't win the Vezina this season, it's the definition of a crying shame. He deserves it way too much not to win.
Ted Lindsay Award: Awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season.
Tim Thomas - The Vezina winner and the save percentage record holder this year, Thomas has had a monster season. Not much more to say about him.
Corey Perry - No one expected Corey Perry to score 50 goals this year, not even Corey Perry. His previous career high was 32. He may be the best forward in the regular season.
Sidney Crosby - Hear me out, this is not going to be some homer rant about how Sid would have won all of the awards had he not been concussed. As of the end of the regular season, Sid is tied for 30th in overall scoring, tied for 14th in goal scoring and played only half of a season. I'm not going to multiply those numbers by 2 and say that's why he should win. No, Sid has a case because at the time of concussion, no one could stop him. His drive was too much to be denied. He was the most outstanding player in the regular season. But the no full season hurts him severely.
Winner - Tim Thomas. As much as I firmly believe Sid should win, when you break records, you should win awards. Tim Thomas has been nothing short of spectacular this season and deserves winning.
Hart Memorial Trophy: awarded annually to the player adjudge most valuable to his team in the National Hockey League.
Corey Perry - Perry has been a valuable guy to the Ducks this year. If they instead had Perry's original career high of 32 goals, they would not be in the playoffs right now. Perry stepped up when both Jonas Hiller and Ryan Getzlaf went down with big injuries.
Carey Price - When looking at playoff teams, no team has scored less goals than the Montreal Canadiens. But for them to be in the playoffs points at one guy, Carey Price. When Jaroslav Halak was traded to the St. Louis Blues, Price was all alone after struggling last year. This year he's silenced his critics and won 38 games for the Canadiens, who won a total of 44 games.
Pekka Rinne - A similar situation to that of Price's is with Pekka Rinne. Rinne was assured of the #1 goaltender spot in Nashville when Dan Ellis left via free agency. Rinne rewarded the Predators's confidence in him by posting career numbers.
Winner - Carey Price. Without Price the Habs would be outside of the playoffs. They were 24th in goals scored in the season but 8th in goals against. The Canadiens can thank Price by getting him some offensive help in the offseason.
So there you have it. I know a lot of people don't expect Shea Weber and Carey Price to be on ballots for anything but they are my award winners. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comment box below.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pens vs. Lighting
We now know who the Pens will play in the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a dynamite team on the power play, and for awhile, they looked like they could be the team to beat in the East. Since then they've fallen off, and lost their division to the Capitals. The team has been hot of late, going 7-3-0 in their last 10. Meanwhile, the Pens without their best player have gone 8-2 in their last 10, so both teams have turned it on at the right time. Let's see who will win this.
3 Questions for the Pens:
1. Can they win a playoff series without Sidney Crosby? - Dan Bylsma has hinted that Crosby won't be back in the first round of the playoffs. With two steps for Crosby to go through until he is ready to play, it looks unlikely he'll play in this series. So the offensive load falls on the top 6 forwards of Neal, Letestu, Kovalev, Kunitz, Staal, and Kennedy. Neal has never been in the NHL playoffs, so he'll need to acclimate to the scene quickly to have success. Letestu has played in the playoffs, but that was in a third line role when Staal went out for 4 games last year. The rest are solid playoff performers, with Kovalev being the most prominent. He is a near point per game player and needs to show that in this year's playoffs after a rough regular season.
2. Will Fleury bounce back from an off playoffs last year? - I think Fleury has answered that question with his play this year, but the playoffs are a completely different animal. That being said, Fleury will have a better post season this year. He's going to have to if the Pens want to have a chance at advancing without Sidney Crosby.
3. Will the power play not suck? - If the last three games have been any indication, the power play is going to be okay. The Pens will have to score to put themselves in the position to win against the Lightning. The Pens couldn't score on the PP when they needed to against Montreal and that's why they lost. The power play will have to be a constant threat or the Pens could exit early.
3 Questions for the Lightning?
1. Is the lack of playoff experience going to hurt Steven Stamkos? - This will be Stamkos's first post season tour in the NHL. He has struggled of late as well, only 2 points in his last 5. At the time Sid went down with his concussion, Stamkos had 31 goals and everyone expected him to take the Rocket Richard again. 42 games later, Stamkos has 45 goals. Not exactly the pace of the "best" goal scorer in the league. Stamkos will have to get back to his early season pace if the Lightning want to play well.
2. Is Roloson too old? - Dwayne Roloson is 41 years old and will be the Lightning's playoff goaltender. He's played in 54 games this year, 34 of those with the Lightning. In fact, he's appeared in 34 of a possible 42 games since being acquired by the Lightning. That is way too much. So add the fact that he is one of the oldest goaltenders in the league and has had a heavy workload could spell disaster in the playoffs.
3. Is their defense good enough? - The Lightning give up the most goals out of any team in the East that is playoff bound (only Detroit gives up more and it's only 1 goal). Although they did go out and acquire Eric Brewer before the trade deadline, they're only +7 in their goal difference. The Pens would do right by taking it right to that shaky defense corps.
Individual Match-up to Watch:
Zybnek Michalek vs. Martin St. Louis - Let's be honest, St. Louis is Tampa's best player. Stamkos is nothing without St. Louis setting him up, and this make him their most dangerous player. Zybnek Michalek is arguably the Pens best defensemen in the defensive zone. It only makes sense to put someone like him against a dangerous threat like St. Louis. With Pittsburgh having home ice, this could be the way the Pens win the series.
Overall Match-up to Watch:
Tampa's Power Play vs. Pittsburgh's Penalty Kill - Strength against strength. The Lightning were #6 in the league in power play efficiency, while Pittsburgh boasts the #1 penalty kill. The series might come down to the better special teams play from these teams. But for the Pens, they want to minimize their penalties to keep this unit off the ice, making it a blessing in disguise that Matt Cooke was suspended for the first round of the playoffs.
Winner:
Pittsburgh in 6. Everyone of the Penguin's important players have been here before. They know what it takes. Tampa does have guys who have won Cups, but Stamkos and Hedman have never been to the dance before. That might be enough for the Pens to take the series.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Much to do about Matt Cooke
After yesterday's game, the story wasn't the Pens loss, it was what kind of suspension is Matt Cooke going to get for the cheap elbow to the head of Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh? That elbow completely changed the game. The Pens had a combined 9 penalty minutes in about 5 minutes. But the Matt Cooke elbow was the worst of them. Under Rule 48, for a repeat offender like Cooke, the suspension is 8-10 games.
But this is more about what the Pens should do. Mario Lemieux proposed a new fining system for teams. I believe that the Pens should lead by example and pay up. If Cooke is suspended for 8 games, the Pens pay $250,000. If Cooke is suspended for 9-10 games, the Pens pay $500,000. That would go to the NHL. Now let's say for instance that the NHL doesn't take the money, and why wouldn't they, the Pens should pay that money to a charity of their choice *cough* Mario Lemieux Foundation.
After the season, I believe the organization is going to be in serious discussions about whether to buyout Matt Cooke or find someone to trade with. Cooke will make $3,250,000 over the next two years. In a buyout, the Pens pay approximately 1/3rd of his cap hit for the next 4 years. This would save the Pens $1083332, not to mention the number of fines Cooke would cost the Pens. But the cap hit would hurt. In the first year, the cap hit would cost $341,667 which would be significantly less than Cooke's current hit of $1,800,000. In the second year, the cap hit is increased to $1,091,667 which is essentially a decent player. In the final two years of the buyout, the cap hit decreases to $541,667, which is good call-up money or a league minimum salary. The trade would save the Pens the cap hit to pay a player not on their roster, but they'd have to receive almost nothing in return. No one is going to want Cooke if it will cost the team more money. A third option is to put him on waivers. This also doesn't seem likely. So either expect a buyout or Matt Cooke to be on the roster next year.
But this is more about what the Pens should do. Mario Lemieux proposed a new fining system for teams. I believe that the Pens should lead by example and pay up. If Cooke is suspended for 8 games, the Pens pay $250,000. If Cooke is suspended for 9-10 games, the Pens pay $500,000. That would go to the NHL. Now let's say for instance that the NHL doesn't take the money, and why wouldn't they, the Pens should pay that money to a charity of their choice *cough* Mario Lemieux Foundation.
After the season, I believe the organization is going to be in serious discussions about whether to buyout Matt Cooke or find someone to trade with. Cooke will make $3,250,000 over the next two years. In a buyout, the Pens pay approximately 1/3rd of his cap hit for the next 4 years. This would save the Pens $1083332, not to mention the number of fines Cooke would cost the Pens. But the cap hit would hurt. In the first year, the cap hit would cost $341,667 which would be significantly less than Cooke's current hit of $1,800,000. In the second year, the cap hit is increased to $1,091,667 which is essentially a decent player. In the final two years of the buyout, the cap hit decreases to $541,667, which is good call-up money or a league minimum salary. The trade would save the Pens the cap hit to pay a player not on their roster, but they'd have to receive almost nothing in return. No one is going to want Cooke if it will cost the team more money. A third option is to put him on waivers. This also doesn't seem likely. So either expect a buyout or Matt Cooke to be on the roster next year.
Monday, February 28, 2011
How all the trading affects the Pens and playoffs
Hey guys, I'm coming back from my hiatus with some trade deadline analysis. I'm gonna look at how the East looks and the Pens stack up after a slow day.
The Pens picked up two top six winger and a third pair defenseman in James Neal, Alex Kovalev, and Matt Niskanen. Pens gave up Alex Goligoski and a 2011 7th round pick, to get those guys. Overall, a successful trade season for the Pens. I'm not as excited about the Kovalev move as alot of people are, but a 7th rounder for a rental is always solid.
James Neal looks like he's going to be a top six winger for alot of years, having scored over 20 goals in each of his first 3 years. He'll be dynamite whether he plays with Sid or Geno and Staal. The one thing I've noticed though is that Neal's contract ends the same year as Chris Kunitz's and Eric Tangradi's. It may come down to which players want the least amount of money, although, I believe Neal will take priority over both of them. Overall, the Pens got younger and better on the left wing. This move puts Cooke down to the third line, where he really belongs when everyone is healthy.
Matt Niskanen is third pair guy on this team. The Pens have essentially 2 top defense pairs in Orpik-Letang and Martin-Michalek, so their bottom 2 guys just have to be solid. Niskanen struggled recently in Dallas but was solid in his rookie season, so if he flashes back to his rookie season in Pittsburgh, this is more of a win for Pittsburgh.
Alex Kovalev is 38 and, among some hockey circles, considered lazy. I think saying he's lazy isn't really fair because noone wants to play in Ottawa right now, except Chris Phillips. His first two games as a Penguin he's shown promise but he's also had alot of giveaways. Give him some time to adjust and he could be alright.
Alex Goligoski is all the Pens gave up really this trade season. Goligoski was hated in Pittsburgh, especially by me. He could mature into a solid defenseman but the Pens I feel won the Stars trade.
With all the moves in the East, it's tough to say where the Pens are in the East. But I feel this will be the standing at the end of the year after these moves:
1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. Tampa Bay
4. Pittsburgh
5. Washington
6. New York Rangers
7. Montreal
8. Carolina
9. New Jersey
10. Buffalo
11. Atlanta
12. Toronto
13. New York Islanders
14. Florida
15. Ottawa
Now, the Pens are at 4 only if Crosby comes back. But, if Crosby is out for the rest of the year, they're on the road for the playoffs and maybe don't advance. The Pens banked enough points early to pretty much guarantee a playoff spot. Boston upgraded so much, they're my favorite to come out of the East and go to the Cup Finals. Washington finally got a true #2 centerman in Jason Arnott so they will be tougher to beat. The Rangers are coming after grabbing a veteran defenseman, same with Carolina. New Jersey is gonna be close after pretty much being dead in the water. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it after a tale of two seasons. I also understand that the bottom of the standings doesn't matter but don't be surprised if Florida is 15th in the conference. They gave up so much this year that they seem almost like an automatic win.
Looking at those matchups, here's who advances:
Philadelphia vs Carolina: Philadelphia has too much, 3 top six lines, great defense, solid goaltending, for Carolina to compete, not to mention the Laviolette factor for Philadelphia. Flyers in 5.
Boston vs Montreal: You can never count out a division rival, but Boston is too good to lose to Montreal. Great top six forwards, solid defense corp, and great goaltending with Tim Thomas. Montreal would be lucky to win 2 games in this series, but with the way the played in last year's playoffs, they could pull a stunner. Boston in 6.
Tampa Bay vs NY Rangers: I'm still not sold on Tampa Bay. They look good, but they have some young, important players who haven't been to the playoffs. Fortunately, St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Roloson have been there, done that. You can't really say that about New York who are young and haven't been to the playoffs in a couple years. Tampa Bay in 6.
Pittsburgh vs. Washington: The Pens only have a chance if Sid comes back, otherwise, Washington looks too good, on paper albeit. If Sid comes back, this is gonna be like the last time these two met in the playoffs, exciting and tight. Washington is more built for the playoffs, with good defense and a little more balanced offensive attack. Their question marks lie in goaltending and the "San Jose Shark" syndrome. Meanwhile, the Pens look more like they did in their 2009 cup run. If Sid plays, Pittsburgh in 7. If Sid doesn't, Washington in 5.
The Pens picked up two top six winger and a third pair defenseman in James Neal, Alex Kovalev, and Matt Niskanen. Pens gave up Alex Goligoski and a 2011 7th round pick, to get those guys. Overall, a successful trade season for the Pens. I'm not as excited about the Kovalev move as alot of people are, but a 7th rounder for a rental is always solid.
James Neal looks like he's going to be a top six winger for alot of years, having scored over 20 goals in each of his first 3 years. He'll be dynamite whether he plays with Sid or Geno and Staal. The one thing I've noticed though is that Neal's contract ends the same year as Chris Kunitz's and Eric Tangradi's. It may come down to which players want the least amount of money, although, I believe Neal will take priority over both of them. Overall, the Pens got younger and better on the left wing. This move puts Cooke down to the third line, where he really belongs when everyone is healthy.
Matt Niskanen is third pair guy on this team. The Pens have essentially 2 top defense pairs in Orpik-Letang and Martin-Michalek, so their bottom 2 guys just have to be solid. Niskanen struggled recently in Dallas but was solid in his rookie season, so if he flashes back to his rookie season in Pittsburgh, this is more of a win for Pittsburgh.
Alex Kovalev is 38 and, among some hockey circles, considered lazy. I think saying he's lazy isn't really fair because noone wants to play in Ottawa right now, except Chris Phillips. His first two games as a Penguin he's shown promise but he's also had alot of giveaways. Give him some time to adjust and he could be alright.
Alex Goligoski is all the Pens gave up really this trade season. Goligoski was hated in Pittsburgh, especially by me. He could mature into a solid defenseman but the Pens I feel won the Stars trade.
With all the moves in the East, it's tough to say where the Pens are in the East. But I feel this will be the standing at the end of the year after these moves:
1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. Tampa Bay
4. Pittsburgh
5. Washington
6. New York Rangers
7. Montreal
8. Carolina
9. New Jersey
10. Buffalo
11. Atlanta
12. Toronto
13. New York Islanders
14. Florida
15. Ottawa
Now, the Pens are at 4 only if Crosby comes back. But, if Crosby is out for the rest of the year, they're on the road for the playoffs and maybe don't advance. The Pens banked enough points early to pretty much guarantee a playoff spot. Boston upgraded so much, they're my favorite to come out of the East and go to the Cup Finals. Washington finally got a true #2 centerman in Jason Arnott so they will be tougher to beat. The Rangers are coming after grabbing a veteran defenseman, same with Carolina. New Jersey is gonna be close after pretty much being dead in the water. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it after a tale of two seasons. I also understand that the bottom of the standings doesn't matter but don't be surprised if Florida is 15th in the conference. They gave up so much this year that they seem almost like an automatic win.
Looking at those matchups, here's who advances:
Philadelphia vs Carolina: Philadelphia has too much, 3 top six lines, great defense, solid goaltending, for Carolina to compete, not to mention the Laviolette factor for Philadelphia. Flyers in 5.
Boston vs Montreal: You can never count out a division rival, but Boston is too good to lose to Montreal. Great top six forwards, solid defense corp, and great goaltending with Tim Thomas. Montreal would be lucky to win 2 games in this series, but with the way the played in last year's playoffs, they could pull a stunner. Boston in 6.
Tampa Bay vs NY Rangers: I'm still not sold on Tampa Bay. They look good, but they have some young, important players who haven't been to the playoffs. Fortunately, St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Roloson have been there, done that. You can't really say that about New York who are young and haven't been to the playoffs in a couple years. Tampa Bay in 6.
Pittsburgh vs. Washington: The Pens only have a chance if Sid comes back, otherwise, Washington looks too good, on paper albeit. If Sid comes back, this is gonna be like the last time these two met in the playoffs, exciting and tight. Washington is more built for the playoffs, with good defense and a little more balanced offensive attack. Their question marks lie in goaltending and the "San Jose Shark" syndrome. Meanwhile, the Pens look more like they did in their 2009 cup run. If Sid plays, Pittsburgh in 7. If Sid doesn't, Washington in 5.
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