Wow sveshtdy, isiah520, rockychocbill........some blasts from the past.


Egg on all their faces for the JVR trade bashing
- Just5

steveshady, now there was a guy who knew his ish.

Actually, he's persevered plenty. Comes from a non-traditional hockey market and was told he'd have to move away from his family to have a chance at playing even college hockey. He's undersized (pretty severely undersized at one point). He was bypassed by USA Hockey and by pretty much all of the big name hockey athletic scholarship-giving universities. Went through his first NHL draft year unselected. Suffers a torn ACL a month into his first pro year.

He's deserving of the nomination, though he's unlikely to win.
- bmeltzer

Yes, you mentioned all of that a few days ago. I just think of the award as being a veteran's award for having persevered at the NHL level.

I think Sam Gagner would have been an ok choice.
Salary dump in a trade for Nik G and Pronger's contract.
Talked about being waived, frequent healthy scratch to being a pretty big part of their turn around second half performance making a run towards a playoff spot.

I don't have a problem with Gost either. Coming back from an acl repair and having the impact he is well it's pretty amazing.
- Marc D

i'm surprised the media isn't playing up the gagner angle, he's never made the playoffs could be a real feel-good story

steveshady, now there was a guy who knew his ish.
- aightwebang17

who is he now ?

steveshady, now there was a guy who knew his ish.
- aightwebang17

nice to see the Jersey Gent there too, it's a shame he made that wager.

I don't think anyone was really deserving of it, but they have to nominate someone...Umberger, maybe, as a treat?
- jmatchett383

Sure. Playing in Columbus requires some serious perseverance. lol

Poor Reece Willcox getting poop for his nerdy picture on page 10. Now he's 6'4", 208 pounds with a Cornell degree and an ELC.



- Feanor

well....

#flashbackfriday

McDavid has caught up in the points race? Without ghost we don't make the playoffs.
- SuperSchennBros

He has 45 points in 42 games on the worst team in the league. If the criteria for the Calder was the same as the Hart, I'd say Ghost wins it. As it is, McDavid has been, to me, the best rookie this year. The only gotcha would be the time missed due to injury.

i'm surprised the media isn't playing up the gagner angle, he's never made the playoffs could be a real feel-good story
- -davies-

Maybe they are expecting him to be scratched for Laughton.

After that last shoot out goal I don't see Gagner coming out of the lineup.

Someone else mentioned this after the game, but that was a bold choice by Haks sending Cousins and Gagner before G.

G was probably still winded after playing the last two minutes of the OT.

Latest beer love is Liefmans Kriek. Pure cherry bliss. Not too sour or funky.

He has 45 points in 42 games on the worst team in the league. If the criteria for the Calder was the same as the Hart, I'd say Ghost wins it. As it is, McDavid has been, to me, the best rookie this year. The only gotcha would be the time missed due to injury.
- jmatchett383

The way I see it is Im not a fan of prorating players stats and saying "well if they played 82 games, he would theoretically have gotten x amount of points". Sure he has done great by getting 45 points in 42 games but you have to look at it for what it is (45) points instead of what it COULD mean when you're evaluating a players impact in a full season vs. others for awards. I mean if Crosby scored 60 points in 34 games over a full season, would he win any accolades other than the kudos for a highly efficient season? No.

Being productive should only be a part of the equation. Longevity/durability, impact on outcomes of games are among other considerations.

Maybe they are expecting him to be scratched for Laughton.

After that last shoot out goal I don't see Gagner coming out of the lineup.

Someone else mentioned this after the game, but that was a bold choice by Haks sending Cousins and Gagner before G.

G was probably still winded after playing the last two minutes of the OT.

Latest beer love is Lindemans Kriek. Pure cherry bliss. Not too sour or funky.
- Marc D

Giroux's been bad at shootouts for the last two years, unfortunately.

I'm sure Cousins is doing well in SO practice to get the top spot.

The way I see it is Im not a fan of prorating players stats and saying "well if they played 82 games, he would theoretically have gotten x amount of points". Sure he has done great by getting 45 points in 42 games but you have to look at it for what it is (45) points instead of what it COULD mean when you're evaluating a players impact in a full season vs. others for awards. I mean if Crosby scored 60 points in 34 games over a full season, would he win any accolades? No.

Being productive should only be a part of the equation. Longevity/durability, impact on outcomes of games are among other considerations.
- orangekrush2010

I'm not disagreeing. I'm basing it solely on the games played. The question was about the scoring race, which I think is only part of the equation. I think that he has shown the most skill and has had a great year. I think that Ghost is more deserving than Panarin, but I think that McDavid has been " the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL." Just my opinion.

Calder, Masterson, Ashbee!!
- SuperSchennBros

you forgot norris,seriously

Maybe they are expecting him to be scratched for Laughton.

After that last shoot out goal I don't see Gagner coming out of the lineup.

Someone else mentioned this after the game, but that was a bold choice by Haks sending Cousins and Gagner before G.

G was probably still winded after playing the last two minutes of the OT.

Latest beer love is Liefmans Kriek. Pure cherry bliss. Not too sour or funky.
- Marc D

nice, i had a phase with liefman's kriek myself a few years ago, haven't had one in a long while now you're making me want one !

you forgot norris,seriously
- mydoglicks

Art Ross and Hart, too.

Great write up as always, Bill
Get well soon, Ed!!!

Bill, what's with the game day blog image fake out?
- funmaster18

April fools!

Giroux's been bad at shootouts for the last two years, unfortunately.

I'm sure Cousins is doing well in SO practice to get the top spot.
- Feanor

Yes not sure why G has not been more successful.
When he scores he can make the goalie look bad with his moves.

Need to edit my quote.

Lindemans sucks at lambic they are way too sweet
Meant to write Liefmans there

I'm totally cool with that.
- Scoob

I would have nominated Streit

Maybe they are expecting him to be scratched for Laughton.

After that last shoot out goal I don't see Gagner coming out of the lineup.

Someone else mentioned this after the game, but that was a bold choice by Haks sending Cousins and Gagner before G.

G was probably still winded after playing the last two minutes of the OT.

Latest beer love is Liefmans Kriek. Pure cherry bliss. Not too sour or funky.
- Marc D

They both must look good in practice. The same 1-2 punch they used in the previous shootout. I even think Cousins did the same move too

Yes not sure why G has not been more successful.
When he scores he can make the goalie look bad with his moves.

Need to edit my quote.

Lindemans sucks at lambic they are way too sweet
Meant to write Liefmans there
- Marc D

Imo Giroux tries to do too much in too little space. His flashiness usually gets the goalie to make first move, but a lot of those times G will miss target barely or runs out of space to finish.

Yes not sure why G has not been more successful.
When he scores he can make the goalie look bad with his moves.

Need to edit my quote.

Lindemans sucks at lambic they are way too sweet
Meant to write Liefmans there
- Marc D

i think i just read it correctly somehow, i know you'd never lindeman

Giroux's been bad at shootouts for the last two years, unfortunately.

I'm sure Cousins is doing well in SO practice to get the top spot.
- Feanor

maybe he needs to stop playing against milk crates...I really am not sure why someone so good has been so bad at shootouts lately

I'm not disagreeing. I'm basing it solely on the games played. The question was about the scoring race, which I think is only part of the equation. I think that he has shown the most skill and has had a great year. I think that Ghost is more deserving than Panarin, but I think that McDavid has been " the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL." Just my opinion.
- jmatchett383

Well, everyone knew McDavid had the most skill of any rookie coming into the season. I know it is the norm these days but I hate the idea of evaluating mostly on points. When I look at the award I evaluate it more like a Hart trophy of rookies than a scoring race. That said, McDavid will probably win it despite having zero impact on his team's play.