Toews Nominated for Selke Again

[JBM73]

Anze Kopitar, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews finalists for Selke award - ESPN

Kopitar a bit of a surprise to me.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

All well deserved.

 

[gmalis1]

Toews...hands down. But the press hates the Hawks and with the East Coast bias and love for anything Boston, Bergeron will win.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Anze Kopitar, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews finalists for Selke award - ESPN

Kopitar a bit of a surprise to me.

Shouldn't be. He is easily one of the top 3 two-way centers in the league and has been for the last 3-4 years.

I live in CA, so I get to watch the EC games as well as the WC games. People on the EC and midwest are usually in bed or gearing up for bed when LA games start so they don't get to see him, especially the media. They go on stats, how he did in a game, etc. but they don't truly watch him. His 200 foot game is on par with Toews and Bergeron. He controls much of the game in all three zones.

It's about time he got some serious consideration for the Selke, he has been under the radar for years even though he was a nominee a few years ago.

 

[JBM73]

Yeah, the lack of viewership and national attention definitely plays a role in perceptions. I certainly wasn't impressed with him in the series against the Hawks last year - he was basically invisible. Not sure if he was hurt at the time?

Anyway, watching the series this year I definitely see what you're talking about. He's been great in all 3 zones.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Yeah, the lack of viewership and national attention definitely plays a role in perceptions. I certainly wasn't impressed with him in the series against the Hawks last year - he was basically invisible. Not sure if he was hurt at the time?

No injuries that I remember, maybe the standard ailments but a big chunk of the Kings played battered when they met up with the Hawks in the WCF last year.

This stems (IMO) from taking on the Blues in the WCQFs, lots of Kings fans were elated when they saw they would take on the Blues in the first round because of the match up - St. Louis is a lot like the Kings but a tier down on every level overall - decent goalie but not an elite one, decent forwards but no legitimate T3 forwards. Their first line guys would be borderline T3 guys in LA but really good second line guys. Only Pietrangelo is on par with Doughty and even that is questionable because Doughty outshined him in both series in 2012 and 2013 even though I think Pieterangelo is a stud.

I have not thought the Blues are a legitimate contender because of this - they need legitimate scoring threats, not guys like Steen who have career years, and a stable, game changing goaltender which Halak was not, Elliott isn't, Allen looks good but is unproven and Miller wasn't even close to. I just laugh when I see "Blues are Cup contenders" anywhere; they aren't no matter how much hype they get and I've been saying this the last 4-5 years.

But both teams play an extremely physical style, and I thought from the get go this is not who I wanted LA to see to start it off because even if they win, they will be beat the hell up. And they were, and it showed as they progressed through SJ in 7 and then ultimately losing to Chicago in 5, they simply were not good enough and gassed.

It wore on them, and I think Kopitar was no different than anyone else on LA. Chicago was a team of destiny in 2013 and I don't believe LA was going to beat them anyway.

Anyway, watching the series this year I definitely see what you're talking about. He's been great in all 3 zones.

Dude is a beast. He is one of the top 3 centers in the NHL and I love the fact that no one knows about him. Or should say, knew about him.

It was great hearing EC commentators for years thinking some guy like Spezza or Giroux were going to skate circles around him only to not only get shut down but also lit up in the process.

I just sat back and enjoyed my beer and snickered.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Keith won the Norris, no surprise there, & rightfully so

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Keith won the Norris, no surprise there, & rightfully so

Good defender, fun to watch when he gets the wheels going. Struggled a little in the playoffs from what I saw - some bad turnovers, bad reads - but that happens.

Overall a solid defender and well earned.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Good defender, fun to watch when he gets the wheels going. Struggled a little in the playoffs from what I saw - some bad turnovers, bad reads - but that happens.

Overall a solid defender and well earned.

It's natural to struggle against the Kings' forecheck tho.