Well, the rosters are now complete for the Eastern Conference team playing in the All Star Game later this month, and Alex Ovechkin is on it.
That's the good news.
The bad is that he will be the only Capitals representative at the All Star Game in Montreal on January 25th. Mike Green was not selected, nor was Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom was a longshot for this event, but Green's absence has the flavor of a voting related incident. Mike Komisarek -- a fine defenseman in his own right -- will start as a product of techno-ballot-stuffing.
Are there five hockey fans in North America outside of Montreal who think Komisarek should be there instead of Green?
Hey Peerless,
ReplyDeleteI can't say that our other guys really deserved a spot with all the time they missed, perhaps they'll need that time off for a long playoff run?
This is unrelated, but is the thermometer broken or are you standings-point shaving to trick the boys into not letting off the throttle until June? : ]
PSSST... BOSTON... we're in your rear-view mirror and we ARE much larger than we appear! MWUHAHA!!!
I usually update that thermometer when I do the postgame, but I was just so tired after getting home, I plum forgot.
ReplyDeleteConsider it done.
The facts are that Mike Green is 3rd in the east in defenseman scoring, 6 behind the NHL leader in defenseman scoring, 10th in +/-, 4th in goals by a defenseman (only because 1-3 are tied with 12, and Green has 10), 1st of all D-men in PP goals, 15th in TOI...
ReplyDeleteAnd Green has accomplished those numbers by missing 13 out of 41 games (roughly 30%)...
While I'm not delving into the level of actual stat analysis as you and Japers tend to go, it's hard to argue with those numbers, at least on the surface...
@matzohboy
ReplyDeleteI see the problem. Professor Frink says that the AutoVoter8000 machine for the NHL All-Star Game had a minimum 30 games played "where" clause programmed into it. hehe
Leave it to a bunch of Frogs to screw something up like an All-Star Game with their lack of passion for the sport overall vs. their team. I'm hoping for a 1-0 defensive struggle with Ovi scoring the lone goal. That'll learn 'em!
Seriously though, those are some compelling stats for Lambo-Greenie making the trip, thanks 'Matzah!
- 405, row A
Green and Backstrom should both be there. There are probably other players from other teams who should be, too, but can't go because of the auto-stuffing perpetrated by some Montreal fans. The NHL should have been proactive and guarded against that, when the decision was made to go electronic. Then they didn't act quickly enough to fix it, and statements I read fairly recently didn't even acknowledge that it had happened. Instead they said in effect, 'oh well, it's what the fans wanted!' This is terrible for the league's credibility. Being somewhat of an ancient dodderer, I forgot my password, and the voting program wouldn't allow me to submit subsequent votes. I requested it to be emailed to me. Several times. When I complained in an email that I never received it, they replied that they couldn't answer all the email they were getting, but rest assured, they would read it! This strikes me as gross incompetence, at best. I have concluded that the starting line-up is irrelevant. It is a PR thing for Montreal to celebrate their 100th anniversary because they didn't get the winter classic this year and they have to be appeased, or the fans will riot. I rather expect them to riot anyway, based on past history.
ReplyDelete