January 8, 2004

NHL Starting All-Stars announced : In the east: Brodeur, Niedermayer, Stevens, Kovalchuk, Thornton. In the west: Turco, Lidstrom, Blake, Modano, Guerin, Bertuzzi. Pretty much all New Jersey and Dallas(?). Is this proof, yet again, that fan voting really sucks?

read story | posted by mkn to Hockey at 5:41 PM CDT (15 comments total)

Or proof that DEVILS RULE!!!

posted by billsaysthis at 6:39 PM CDT on January 8

Reasonable choices: Brodeur, Kovalchuk, Thorton, Lidstrom, Blake, Bertuzzi.

My all-star teams would be based on this season's results PLUS past results PLUS player popularity PLUS my crazy whim:

East: Brodeur, Gonchar, Souray, Kovalchuk, Sundin, Hossa
West: Osgood, Lidstrom, Blake, Naslund, Sakic, Hull

I'd have no problem if Doan, Datsyuk, Lang, Hossa, Palffy, Bertuzzi, Nagy, Schnieder, Pronger, Belfour, Vokoun or Aebischer made the teams either.

posted by grum@work at 6:55 PM CDT on January 8

Honestly, just take the fan element out. Mike Modano?? He hasn't even been the best center on his own team, more less in the West. At least the reserves are usually more intelligent picks for the team...remember, I said usually...

posted by MeatSaber at 7:24 PM CDT on January 8

I'd take Niedermeyer instead of Gonchar. Nice numbers, but talk about having no consequence on that team. Nediermeyer is probably runner-up to Blake and Pronger in Norris consideration right now.

Stevens on the other hand... Is a stupid choice - makes the whole thing look bush. And Turco, Guerin and Modano? That's worse.

My pics:
East: Hossa, Kolvalchuk, Sundin, Niedermeyer, Souray, Brodeur
West: Naslund, Datsyuk, Sakic, Blake, Pronger, Osgood

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 7:25 PM CDT on January 8

Oops, I omitted Martin St-Louis there.

I don't like a lot of the picks, especially in the West. I mean, Modano? I know he's getting by on name recognition, but he's not even a top 50 scorer and he's -19!

I could probably argue every pick other than Brodeur, Kovalchuk, and Blake... maybe Lidstrom, too (though I'd rather have Pronger).

As for Neidermayer: maybe I'm biased, but I'd say that McCabe's play this year is good enough to warrant a pick.

posted by mkn at 7:27 PM CDT on January 8

Also, am I the only one not on the Bertuzzi train... er, bandwagon? He's a good player and all, but I think that's mostly because Naslund makes him look better than he really is. Naslund so should have got the nod over him.

posted by mkn at 7:29 PM CDT on January 8

Sleeper RW : T.Hunter
Sleeper C : M.Savard
Slepper LW : R.Nash
Sleeper D : Aucoin, Souray
Sleeper G : Kiprosuff

posted by garfield at 1:05 AM CDT on January 9

tomorrow is going to be painful.

posted by garfield at 1:09 AM CDT on January 9

Someone else that should get a reserve nod is Kris Draper. I've never been a fan of his (even as a Wings fan) but Mr. I-can-only-kill-penalties-and-can't-even-score-on-an-empty-net is having himself a career year (18G 11A +21 3 SHG)...

posted by MeatSaber at 7:24 AM CDT on January 9

Weedy:West: Naslund, Datsyuk, Sakic, Blake, Pronger, Osgood

You've got two centremen (Datsyuk & Sakic). If it was 3 forwards of any position, then your lineup is what I'd want. But if I had to choose Datsyuk or Sakic, I'd probably go Sakic (though this is probably the last year I'd make that choice).

posted by grum@work at 8:34 AM CDT on January 9

Oops. I forgot about that. Sakic over Datsyuk for shizzy.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:51 PM CDT on January 9

Fan voting is a bit of a joke anyway. Not surprisingly the players that get voted in are from the larger U.S. fan bases (New Jersey, Dallas, Detroit) and not from places like Tamba Bay or Toronto. As much as I hate the damn Leafs, Sundin is having a great first half why didn't he make it?

posted by camcanuck at 12:51 PM CDT on January 9

not from places like Tamba Bay
Except for that St-Louis guy! But I agree, the larger US markets dominate fan voting... as three Dallas players (they're a .500 team for Christ sakes!) are on the Western roster.

posted by mkn at 2:58 PM CDT on January 9

Uh - guys, Dallas ain't that much bigger than Toronto and Detroit isn't. Me thinks there's something else going on. Like most fans not voting. Because there is no way that Dallas has more fans than Toronto. No way.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 6:12 PM CDT on January 9

TO fans are just more McWeedy, dude, and sijmply forget to vote.

posted by billsaysthis at 8:37 PM CDT on January 9

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