Todd Cordell: Taylor Hall named a finalist for Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award

Anze Kopitar

–Led the team in points for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.

–Registered a career-high four goals in a single game (tied a franchise record), March 22 at Colorado.

–Registered his 800th career point (fourth Kings player to reach 800 points with the franchise) in his 900th NHL game, Feb. 20 at Winnipeg.

–Tallied a career-high 10-game point streak, Oct. 12 – Nov. 16. He notched 12 points (3-9=12) during the streak.

–Registered a career-high seven game assist streak (1-8=9), Oct. 28 – Nov. 16. He recorded eight assists during the streak.

–Won the Bill Libby Memorial Award for Most Valuable Player on the team (sixth time; second most behind Marcel Dionne’s eight) and the Defensive Player of the Year Award (fifth time; tying Mattias Norstrom for most wins) as voted by the media.

–Spent 178:05 TOI on the penalty kill, while no other player in the Top-10 in scoring spent more than 105 TOI on the PK. Only 22 forwards recorded 165-or-more minutes on the PK, and while Kopitar recorded 92 points on the season, the other 21 forwards registered an average of 28.6 points, and the next closest players were Mikael Backlund of Calgary and Mikko Koivu of Minnesota, who each had 45 points.

–Recorded 31 more points than the second-highest scoring player on the team (Dustin Brown had 61), which was the third largest deficit among the top two scorers on any team (Hall, NJD – 41 and McDavid, EDM – 38)

–Announced as a nominee for the Frank J. Selke Trophy (forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game) last Tuesday.

- LA Kings

But by all means, cherry pick a couple offensive stats and count Kopitar out of the race already.

Holy S bro relax geez

But by all means, cherry pick a couple offensive stats and count Kopitar out of the race already.
- tkecanuck341

REEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

But by all means, cherry pick a couple offensive stats and count Kopitar out of the race already.
- tkecanuck341

Kopitar deserves to win it! He was the MVP in every aspect of the game for his team!

But by all means, cherry pick a couple offensive stats and count Kopitar out of the race already.
- tkecanuck341

all the stats you listed are personal milestones and isolated great things (such as 4 goals in game.. so what?). While they're great in their own right, it doesn't negate that Kopitar had some other players around him that were better than the players Hall had around him. Good for Kopitar for scoring his 800th point or whatever. That has nothing to do with being the MVP.. just speaks of his career. That's great he's a Selke finalist. The 2 other finalists aren't Hart candidates.. because being a Selke finalist isn't everything to do with MVP. The point disparity between Hall and the next 3 guys is all you need to know. How the team struggled to score without Hall vs when he played. It's either Hall or MacKinnon.. no disrespect to Kopitar (obviously he's a finalist for a reason).

all the stats you listed are personal milestones and isolated great things (such as 4 goals in game.. so what?). While they're great in their own right, it doesn't negate that Kopitar had some other players around him that were better than the players Hall had around him. Good for Kopitar for scoring his 800th point or whatever. That has nothing to do with being the MVP.. just speaks of his career. That's great he's a Selke finalist. The 2 other finalists aren't Hart candidates.. because being a Selke finalist isn't everything to do with MVP. The point disparity between Hall and the next 3 guys is all you need to know. How the team struggled to score without Hall vs when he played. It's either Hall or MacKinnon.. no disrespect to Kopitar (obviously he's a finalist for a reason).
- MartysBetter88

That was the entire PR release from the LA Kings. I bolded the part that I was referring to. I agree that career achievements have no place in single-season awards.

However, Kopitar played on a line with Alex Iafallo (a rookie that ended up with 25 points), and Dustin Brown (who only cracked 30 points once in the last 5 seasons). Everyone said that Dustin Brown was dead weight and should be bought out or packaged up with quality assets and traded away for nothing. It's not like he's playing with all stars out there.

More importantly, Kopitar was the SHTOI-leading forward on the league's best PK. He is up for the best defensive forward trophy in the league, while leading the league's best defense. How did New Jersey finish defensively this year? How much time did Hall spend on New Jersey's PK?

You quote a bunch of offensive stats, but forget there are two more zones on the ice in every game. Kopitar scored one less point with Hall (maybe less spectacularly so), but completely destroyed Hall in every defensive measure available.

That was the entire PR release from the LA Kings. I bolded the part that I was referring to. I agree that career achievements have no place in single-season awards.

However, Kopitar played on a line with Alex Iafallo (a rookie that ended up with 25 points), and Dustin Brown (who only cracked 30 points once in the last 5 seasons). Everyone said that Dustin Brown was dead weight and should be bought out or packaged up with quality assets and traded away for nothing. It's not like he's playing with all stars out there.

More importantly, Kopitar was the SHTOI-leading forward on the league's best PK. He is up for the best defensive forward trophy in the league, while leading the league's best defense. How did New Jersey finish defensively this year? How much time did Hall spend on New Jersey's PK?

You quote a bunch of offensive stats, but forget there are two more zones on the ice in every game. Kopitar scored one less point with Hall (maybe less spectacularly so), but completely destroyed Hall in every defensive measure available.
- tkecanuck341

Did kopitar carry the kings to the playoffs or was it more of a team?

Without hall the devils had no shot and would have been bottom 3 in the league

Coleman and gibbons to join butcher on team USA

Did kopitar carry the kings to the playoffs or was it more of a team?

Without hall the devils had no shot and would have been bottom 3 in the league
- dmarsden2988

Kopitar absolutely carried the Kings to the playoffs. Without him, they would have been competing for a lottery pick.

Coleman and gibbons to join butcher on team USA
- dmarsden2988

Love it. Good to see how they measure up with some other quality players. KK too. These guys are all competing to more TOI. Coleman was a fantastic bottom 6 player this season and I look forward to seeing where how much responsibility Butch earns. I think Hynes protected him a bit much, and hope to see what this kid can produce with some different opportunities.

Kopitar deserves to win it! He was the MVP in every aspect of the game for his team!
- arh777

So we’re the other two

I’d have no problem with Kopitar winning it but in my book he’s in third spot behind the other two.

So we’re the other two

I’d have no problem with Kopitar winning it but in my book he’s in third spot behind the other two.
- Iggysbff

To be clear, I'm not saying that Kopitar deserves to win it over Hall or MacKinnon, just that it is either blatant homerism or ignorance to dismiss Kopitar entirely by saying that "For the Hart, I think it comes down to MacKinnon and Hall." I think all three players are worthy candidates for the trophy this season.

I hope he wins both. That's the opinion of this casual observer. After surviving a hot mess in Edmonton that would ruin some young players, he's jettisoned by Chia for a lesser player. Takes the opportunity and rises to the top.

Hopefully every piece of hardware he wins just further underlines the one sidedness of that trade and leads to Chia never working in the NHL again. Or puts him at the helm for the Montreal rebuild. Either works

Please not the Hurricanes

Please not the Hurricanes
- willschulme

lets hope the habs

lets hope the habs
- dmarsden2988

So we’re the other two

I’d have no problem with Kopitar winning it but in my book he’s in third spot behind the other two.
- Iggysbff

The others didn’t have the defensive accomplishments that Kopitar had. That’s just a fact!

The others didn’t have the defensive accomplishments that Kopitar had. That’s just a fact!
- arh777

That's what the Selke is for!

The others didn’t have the defensive accomplishments that Kopitar had. That’s just a fact!
- arh777

I hope he enjoys the Selke.

I hope he enjoys the Selke.
- smellmyfinger

That's what the Selke is for!
- vlongo4419

Yes, however if we’re talking MVP for the team he beats the other two due to his all around game. You do know goalies can win it!

Yes, however if we’re talking MVP for the team he beats the other two due to his all around game. You do know goalies can win it!
- arh777

But he wont win it, everybody knows its between Mack and Hall, wouldn't have mattered who the 3rd nominee was.

why does anybody care about the pointless awards so much?

But he wont win it, everybody knows its between Mack and Hall, wouldn't have mattered who the 3rd nominee was.
- vlongo4419

Never said he’d win it I said he deserves it more then the other two.