NHL All-Star Rosters/Fan Fest Weekend/Game thread

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I had no idea that Patrice Bergeron had never made the ASG before.

How the hell did that happen?!?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Backstrom, Subban, and JVR - those are my snubs, in that order.

They're all happy - they get a long weekend.

I'm not happy because winter weekends without real hockey being played just suck.

 

[David_son]

I agree with this point. I don't get why they half-ass this idea. Does either NBA or MLB do it differently? I know that you were able to vote on NBA All-Stars in the past, and I remember in-park ballots for MLB. I don't know if either sport changed their voting policies.

Back on track, though...

I know that in past years, NHL allowed people to vote for players through texts. I believe that it was ten texts per number. Not per day, but total. They didn't even let people vote that way this year, which is ridiculous. If there was one thing that they got right, it was that particular method.

I pretty sure for MLB online vote it's once per day

 

[forty_three]

 

[pixburgher66]

I hadn't realized that the fans voted in Corey Crawford. This made me look up some stats, and I'm a bit surprised at the season he's having. Pretty good, actually. That said: HOLY CRAP PEKKA RINNE. .930sv%, 1.98GAA in 36 starts? Those are crazy numbers. Just crazy. Only full starter under 2 in GAA. And Crawford has 10 less starts than that. Geeeeeez.

 

[scoutyjones2]

You realize, even though he's in one of the toughest stretches of his career, he's still top 10 in league scoring? Tied for 8th...ahead of plenty of big names.

Thank god for secondary assists! Skid fucking blows...and it highlights that the NHL is missing a true star for the face of the NHL. It was Skid, now...who the hell is it? It's so mediocre its disappointing.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Thank god for secondary assists! Skid fucking blows...and it highlights that the NHL is missing a true star for the face of the NHL. It was Skid, now...who the hell is it? It's so mediocre its disappointing.

The league has never been any better - so many good teams in this league and so many budding stars and superstars - real hockey fans understand this - it's nice to see different teams stepping to the plate and becoming relevant

 

[DevilishWon]

I hadn't realized that the fans voted in Corey Crawford. This made me look up some stats, and I'm a bit surprised at the season he's having. Pretty good, actually. That said: HOLY CRAP PEKKA RINNE. .930sv%, 1.98GAA in 36 starts? Those are crazy numbers. Just crazy. Only full starter under 2 in GAA. And Crawford has 10 less starts than that. Geeeeeez.

Even mediocre would have got him in. 5 of the top 6 vote getters were blackhawks. I little ballot stuffing never hurts

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Not a fan of this apparent need to return to having one player from each team. The objective - outside of the absurd fan voting at least - should be to get the best players.

I have a hard time accepting Justin Faulk for instance over guys like Subban or Karlsson.

 

[elocomotive]

They're all happy - they get a long weekend.

When asked about it, that's actually what Nick said. He also said it isn't a big deal to him, that there are a lot of great players, and that he thinks John Carlson and Marc-Andre Fleury were two guys he was really surprised didn't make it. Class act.

I had somehow forgotten that Backstrom has NEVER made an All-Star appearance. He has finished his seasons at the following in the points standings - 9th, 4th, 35th, 12th, (129th, injured half season), 13th, 9th, and is currently in 11th.

Of the guys currently in the top 20 players in points and that have been in the top 20 in points over the last two years, here is the short list - Backstrom, Crosby, Giroux, Getzlaf, Kane, and Kessel. That's it.

Backstrom has made zero all-star games. The rest of those guys? They've ALL made the last three all-star squads now over those seasons. Not a single missed all-star selection among them.

That is, as Eric Fehr put it, "ridiculous."

 

[pixburgher66]

Thank god for secondary assists! Skid fucking blows...and it highlights that the NHL is missing a true star for the face of the NHL. It was Skid, now...who the hell is it? It's so mediocre its disappointing.

PRetty much what Cobie said. Sid still is the face, and he's still (although at the moment arguably) the best player in the world. LITERALLY the first time in his career he's had any form of inconsistency that lasted beyond a week, and that's just from a points perspective, his possession numbers remain great. And while yes, Sid is not eons ahead of other players in the league like it used to be with Gretz or Mario, that's not a bad thing. There's a lot of talent in the league, why is this a bad thing?

 

[pixburgher66]

When asked about it, that's actually what Nick said. He also said it isn't a big deal to him, that there are a lot of great players, and that he thinks John Carlson and Marc-Andre Fleury were two guys he was really surprised didn't make it. Class act.

I had somehow forgotten that Backstrom has NEVER made an All-Star appearance. He has finished his seasons at the following in the points standings - 9th, 4th, 35th, 12th, (129th, injured half season), 13th, 9th, and is currently in 11th.

Of the guys currently in the top 20 players in points and that have been in the top 20 in points over the last two years, here is the short list - Backstrom, Crosby, Giroux, Getzlaf, Kane, and Kessel. That's it.

Backstrom has made zero all-star games. The rest of those guys? They've ALL made the last three all-star squads now over those seasons. Not a single missed all-star selection among them.

That is, as Eric Fehr put it, "ridiculous."

Come on man, start voting for him then!







That was complete sarcasm, it's malarkey that he's not there. Also that Subban isn't there. And, in my biased opinion, MAF and probably Letang, but I won't get picky.

 

[Darkstone42]

Not a fan of this apparent need to return to having one player from each team. The objective - outside of the absurd fan voting at least - should be to get the best players.

I have a hard time accepting Justin Faulk for instance over guys like Subban or Karlsson.

Justin Faulk has been outstanding this season and probably deserves to go, but agreed, not over Subban and Karlsson, or Letang for that matter.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

PRetty much what Cobie said. Sid still is the face, and he's still (although at the moment arguably) the best player in the world. LITERALLY the first time in his career he's had any form of inconsistency that lasted beyond a week, and that's just from a points perspective, his possession numbers remain great. And while yes, Sid is not eons ahead of other players in the league like it used to be with Gretz or Mario, that's not a bad thing. There's a lot of talent in the league, why is this a bad thing?

Exactly!! I'm not a huge fan of Sid's but he IS still the best player in the world.

As for it being close? Only a few idiots were certain that Sid was going dominate like Gretz or Mario. People lost sight of how rare players like Gretzky or Mario are. Over the history of hockey (more than 120 years) there have been millions upon millions of kids who played competitive hockey. Of all those people Wayne and Mario were 2 of the best 3 EVER.

Because we were treated to them within about 5-6 years of each other I guess people started expecting it to happen every decade. It doesn't and it won't. We'll be lucky to see a player as dominant as those guys within the next 50 years. That is outside of Zac Rinaldo of course. As dash pointed out the other night, you can't stop Zac Rinaldo you can only hope to healthy scratch him.

 

[pixburgher66]

Exactly!! I'm not a huge fan of Sid's but he IS still the best player in the world.

As for it being close? Only a few idiots were certain that Sid was going dominate like Gretz or Mario. People lost sight of how rare players like Gretzky or Mario are. Over the history of hockey (more than 120 years) there have been millions upon millions of kids who played competitive hockey. Of all those people Wayne and Mario were 2 of the best 3 EVER.

Because we were treated to them within about 5-6 years of each other I guess people started expecting it to happen every decade. It doesn't and it won't. We'll be lucky to see a player as dominant as those guys within the next 50 years. That is outside of Zac Rinaldo of course. As dash pointed out the other night, you can't stop Zac Rinaldo you can only hope to healthy scratch him.

Even still, I'm enjoying every minute watching Sid, because although he's not to their level, he's still a future HoF guy who has been a dominant force in the league...and to complain about that is asinine. Gah, Pens fans are spoiled rotten. Two of the greatest forwards to ever play in Mario and Jagr, along with two more generational talents in Crosby and Malkin...I mean, come on. Just...just shut up. There are teams out there who've never had ONE player with that kind of talent.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Oh please...Skid is crap. 5 goals in his last 29 games. He's freaking Adam Oates light. He gets paid to be a superstar. He gets told he's the best player in the NHL...well, I feel for the NHL then and it's acceptance of meh. Malkin is the true talent on this team. The next time you can vouch for Skid taking over a game and dominating will be his first. Between his craptastic playoff disappearances and this years shitfest...it's a trend, not a slump

 

[Cobiemonster]

Oh please...Skid is crap. 5 goals in his last 29 games. He's freaking Adam Oates light. He gets paid to be a superstar. He gets told he's the best player in the NHL...well, I feel for the NHL then and it's acceptance of meh. Malkin is the true talent on this team. The next time you can vouch for Skid taking over a game and dominating will be his first. Between his craptastic playoff disappearances and this years shitfest...it's a trend, not a slump

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkaaaaay then

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Only the crap of coaches can make the scoring of Crosby unacceptable. It is this trash of Bylsma and Johnston that cause of this NHL unsatisfactory. With the coach style of legendary Bowman Crosby is top elite of NHL league. We now see the terrible of refs and coaches stop the Crosby top scores in NHL hockey of all time.

 

[pixburgher66]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkaaaaay then

 

[forty_three]

Columbus Blue Jackets - Nick Foligno named NHL All-Star captain - Columbus Blue Jackets - News

Captains named. Foligno and Toews.

I hope Bobrovsky is Foligno's first pick and he gives him a big old bear hug.