From the Rink: SBN Hockey picks NHL award winners

James Mirtle, the overlord of SBN, has pooled the various team bloggers at SBN to each present their team's own Hart MVP, Norris Defenseman, Vezina Goalie, Calder Rookie, and Selke Defensive Forward -- only considering players on their own team.

Rudy and I sent in our Ducks and Kings picks, and Mr. Plank from Fear the Fin submitted for the Sharks -- and it's generally interesting to see how team-specific bloggers characterized their own teams. Kudos to the SBN Hockeysphere for the cool feature.

By no means is it a foolproof listing, though -- feel free to comment on anywhere you would have gone different. For any team -- we can take it.

almost 3 years ago Earl Sleek 9 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

And if you’re lazy, or if Rudy’s picks haven’t been posted yet, here’s how the BoC awards looked at presstime:

Anaheim (Earl Sleek)
Hart – Bobby Ryan
Norris – Chris Pronger
Vezina – Jonas Hiller
Calder – Bobby Ryan
Selke – Todd Marchant
Byng (optional) – Teemu Selanne

Los Angeles (Rudy Kelly)
Hart – Drew Doughty
Norris – Drew Doughty
Vezina – Jonathan Quick
Calder – Wayne Simmonds
Selke – Michal Handzus
Byng (optional) – Alexander Frolov
Brian Willsie Award (Worst Player) – Denis Gauthier

San Jose (Mr. Plank)
Hart – Patrick Marleau
Norris – Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Vezina – Evgeni Nabokov
Calder – Jamie McGinn
Selke – Joe Pavelski

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Apr 6, 2009 8:46 PM PDT reply actions

Marleau been that good this year?…im assuming he was hurt those last two games we played them…but i dont remember him much in any of the other games against us

El Spade-o

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Apr 7, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Marleau been that good this year?

Yeah, but I think a big part was how well he recovered from a fairly terrible year last year. This year he has 70 points in 74 games; compare that to last year’s 48 points in 78 games.

I don’t know if he’s had a huge season series against the Ducks — if that were the only criterion, I’d think that Jonathan Cheechoo would win the Sharks-v-Ducks Hart Trophy.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Apr 7, 2009 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

Marleau has been awesome this season. When the Sharks have played the Ducks they have been, well an odd duck (hehe).

by idunno723 on Apr 7, 2009 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I can’t be too sure, but Mirtle tells us that this French hockey article is calling out some of SBN’s picks, I guess including my own.

À Anaheim, je vois mal comment Bobby Ryan peut surpasser Ryan Getzlaf pour le Hart. Niedermayer bien avant Pronger pour le Norris.

Damn, those French don’t pull any punches (maybe).

Anyways, I feel OK about the Bobby Ryan pick, no matter how many French feathers it ruffles. The OC Register is running a Ducks MVP poll and right now it’s neck-and-neck between B-Ry and Getz. Take that, France!

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Apr 7, 2009 3:09 PM PDT reply actions

I pushed it through an online translator and got this nonsense:

In Anaheim, I see badly how Bobby Ryan can surpass Ryan Getzlaf for Hart. Niedermayer long before Pronger for Norris.

Oh Frenchie, when will you learn to trust people who, I dunno, watch the games?

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Apr 7, 2009 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions

in that case

but Niedermayer bien avant Pronger!

by Mike in OC on Apr 7, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I can see Bobby Ryan over Getz, but Niedermayer bien avant Pronger?

by Mike in OC on Apr 7, 2009 3:32 PM PDT reply actions

I guess it’s useful to put my rationalizations in this comment thread. Here’s the reasons I sent:

Hart: I’m going to go a bit controversial and put Bobby Ryan here – certainly Getzlaf and Perry have been the offensive focus for most of the year, but Ryan’s got better points-per-60-min rates than either of them at even strength and the power play, despite getting a much sillier mix of linemates. A lot of Ducks fans would say Getzlaf as MVP without blinking, and they’re not wrong, but Bobby Ryan is also a much more significant outscorer – he’s already surpassed Getzlaf and Perry in terms of preventing goals-against, and he’s not nearly so prone to unnecessary penalties.

Norris: Chris Pronger – between him and Niedermayer, it’s awfully close, but I think Pronger gets the edge. In all situations, Pronger has been on the ice for 121 GF and 103 GA. Niedermayer in all situations is 110 GF and 110 GA. Both d-men have played 80 games, and in terms of total ice time are within 3 minutes of each other.

Vezina: Jonas Hiller – 2.32 GAA and a .920 save percentage – he’s won 22 games in 44 appearances, compared to J.S. Giguere’s 19 wins in 45 appearances (3.13 GAA, .900 sv%).

Calder: Bobby Ryan – 30 goals in 62 games while playing up and down in the lineup. See my Hart notes: this kid is a player.

Selke: It’s got to go to Todd Marchant for assuming (and improving on) the Sammy Pahlsson minutes – certainly he’s playing a bigger role than he’s ever carried for the Ducks, and he’s playing his best hockey since being claimed off waivers in 2005.

Lady Byng: Nobody on the Ducks deserves this, but I’ll say Teemu Selanne for (a) owning and (b) occasionally using a legal stickblade.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Apr 7, 2009 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Pacific Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
San Jose Fear The Fin	54	31	17	6	68
Los Angeles Jewels From The Crown	57	27	19	11	65
Phoenix Five For Howling	57	27	21	9	63
Dallas Defending Big D	56	28	25	3	59
Anaheim Anaheim Calling	56	23	24	9	55

(updated 2.15.2012 at 5:59 AM PST)

Network Bar

Battle of California -

Takes and trash talk from all sides of the NHL's most pathetic rivalry