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Mark Giordano rightfully named a finalist for the Norris Trophy |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
The finalists for the 2018-19 Norris Trophy were recently announced and, to the surprise of nobody, Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano was one of them.
His counterparts for the hardware: San Jose's Brent Burns, and Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman.
All three are fantastic players, and all three had fantastic seasons. In saying that, I think Giordano's was superior and that's pretty apparent when looking at 5v5 numbers, which just so happens to be the game state the vast majority of their minutes were played.
As you can see, Giordano posted the best numbers in terms of controlling shot attempts, expected goals, actual goals, *and* producing points.
He did this while being matched up against top competition each and every night, which can not be said of Burns and Hedman. They played softer, easier, minutes at 5v5, and garnered lesser results across the board. That matters – or at least it should.
I'm not taking anything away from Burns or Hedman. They're excellent players and they had marvelous seasons. I just think Giordano's was a little better despite tougher playing circumstances, and I'd like to see him rewarded for that.
I expect he will be come June.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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