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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 18, 2009 14:16:28 GMT -5
Any thoughts on who wins what tonight?
I'm thinking... Malkin for MVP, McLellan for Jack Adams, Green for Norris, Mason for Calder, Datsyuk for the Pearson and Selke, Thomas for the Vezina.
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Post by fukufuji on Jun 19, 2009 8:34:55 GMT -5
Those are pretty much my picks. Not taking away mason's wonderful season but if bobby ryan played a full season as a top 6 I am certian it would not be so clear.
I think ovechkin will win it. Both teams would be half the teams they are without them but caps need AO more IMO. personally I hope malkin wins just so he gets the upper hand that much more. OFffff, good hit Alex, you knocked the cup, the con smyth, and the hart out of my pocket.
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Tomcat
Second Liner
Posts: 465
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Post by Tomcat on Jun 19, 2009 12:33:31 GMT -5
Any thoughts on who wins what tonight? I'm thinking... Malkin for MVP, McLellan for Jack Adams, Green for Norris, Mason for Calder, Datsyuk for the Pearson and Selke, Thomas for the Vezina. Thank GOD, green didn't win the Norris!!!!! That would have been a travesty. And I am sorry to bitch but... WHAT THE FCK was Chaka Kahn and Robben Fick??? (who is that!) doing singing that crap at the start. I mean that was SOOO NOT hockey. When I think hockey, I think Chaka Kahn!! Did that thing ever even see a hockey stick in her life? I only saw some of the show, but it was BAD. Another "fall flat on its face" effort by Betmann's NHL. Let CBC handle the show from now on. That was BAD. Congrats to Ovechkin for winning the Pearsons, best player voted on BY the PLAYERS! and Fan Five to Bobby Lu, best player voted BY the FANs. Am I missing someone in there? How about a new award, Betman's best player as voted on by Betman. Winner is? DRRUUUUUUUUUM roll. CROSBY! And where was "the next one" The new face of the NHL last night? The chosen one snubbed the award show. Good call! He must have know who the entertainment was and smartly passed on the show. In all seriousness, that Chaka Kahn was INCREDIBLY HORRIBLE, and made NO sense for a hockey award show! Man what a disaster. Betman is just horrible. I thought I saw it all. Bring back Ron McLain and CBC.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 19, 2009 13:03:21 GMT -5
i'm glad i missed it... i've been hearing it was pretty awful.
i really like the idea of the awards show though... making it this kind of red carpet event in a place like Vegas is a really cool idea to make hockey a little bit more mainstream, specifically in the US. But you can't just dress a bunch of players up, drop them in the desert, and expect it to be a good show, haha.
When i think hockey, I think classic rock. Not Chaka Kahn.
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Post by fukufuji on Jun 19, 2009 14:23:45 GMT -5
lol, this aggressive market growth strategy of the nhl has resulted in not much new fan base almost a disregaurd for long time fans IMO. I can not even remember the last time I heard chaka kahn, 1983? Maybe AC/DC didn't show and chaka kahn's bus rolled up PCU style.
I guess I gotta give props for a strategy to take the game to a larger market, but it just seems like its been poorly executed. I may be wrong as I am no certified expert in the interworkings, money, and results they are really getting under bettman.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 19, 2009 16:15:44 GMT -5
it's so hard to tell how well the league has done under bettman because all professional sports leagues have seen a massive economic growth with the internet boom. but the fact that two american teams earned the best TV ratings in 35+ years... something's working, at least since the lockout.
the NHL has also recently thrown tons of money at USA Hockey to develop youth programs, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects the league 10-15 years down the road. so many things like that are long-term projects... it's hard to judge bettman's efficacy until like 30 years after he started.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Jun 19, 2009 16:40:47 GMT -5
I thought pretty much everyone who should have won the awards last night deserved them. I was hoping Mike Green wouldn't win the Norris either, although he had a very impressive offensive season hes no where near the complete defenseman Chara or Lidstrom is.
Ovechkin winning the Hart and Lester B. Pearson awards were well earned and deserving, I considered him virtual locks for both trophies.
Thomas and the Vezina trophy was the best moment of the night IMO. Timmy has worked his arse off and when many people wrote him off season after season, I'm glad to be able to say I've been a believer for a few years now. Now that he has his trophy, the name recognition and money, it'll be a true test of his drive to see how he performs next season.
On Bettman, I used to hate the guy with a passion, but now I only have a general dislike for the guy. I'm not so sure how many people would do a better job at balancing everything he has to balance, it can't be an easy job and I think hes hated way more than anyone should ever hate the guy.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 19, 2009 17:37:32 GMT -5
why is ovechkin such a lock for the Hart? everyone keeps saying that, but I just don't get it...
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Post by fukufuji on Jun 19, 2009 17:41:34 GMT -5
Yeah as the saying goes if you wanna make an Omelette gotta break a few eggs. Its hard to expand the market and keep the traditionalists happy at the same time. I can't complain too much more than I already have this season and playoffs were awesome.
I'm kinda glad greene didn't win too. I don't like to see the norris factor points as most important. Not saying Greene is one dimentional, the guy is a phenominal player and is redefining the modern defensman but I'd rather see the award go to someone who excels more so at keeping pucks out of the net.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Jun 19, 2009 17:52:24 GMT -5
why is ovechkin such a lock for the Hart? everyone keeps saying that, but I just don't get it... How isn't he is a better question in my opinion. Pittsburgh boasts two of the league's best three players, the only player you can mention in the same sentence as Crosby/Malkin is Ovechkin. Ovechkin IS the Caps, period. Backstrom, Semin, Green are great young players with a ton of potential but none make up for the fact Pittsburgh has Malkin + Crosby. Ovechkin does everything he does while facing the opposition's toughest defenders every single shift. Crosby or Malkin, while also facing the oppositions best defenders, do not play on the same line so teams have a harder time containing either or on any given night, as shown all throughout the playoffs. You can't have it all, Zoom...you've got the Cup, Malkin has the Conn Smythe...Ovechkin is the king of the NHL until further notice. The majority of the players agree with this as well, as evidenced by his Pearson award.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 19, 2009 18:23:53 GMT -5
i guess the one thing i hadn't taken into consideration is that Geno probably gets to face the opponents' 2nd D pair. but when you look at linemates... AO's are better. Did you know only 2 penguins had 50 or more points this year? Malkin has a larger percentage of his team's points... he's got a higher shooting percentage... he wins faceoffs... malkin was a +17, ovechkin a +8.
don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ovechkin didn't deserve to win. I'm just saying, why such a foregone conclusion?
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Post by Zipper14 on Jun 19, 2009 22:51:14 GMT -5
I thought Pitsburgh had the deepest team ever?
I do think Malkin got the Conn Smyth over Crosby because he didn't have to face Lidstrom and Zetterberg. Of course the guy facing Stuart and Kronwall is going to score a lot more than the guy facing Lidstrom and Rafalski.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Jun 19, 2009 23:49:55 GMT -5
I thought Pitsburgh had the deepest team ever? touche'
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