Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Rangers Could Use A #1 Guy
Previous entry: Is Mike Green On The Carpet Too?
Vezina Trophy Finalists
by Paul on 04/27/09 at 11:04 AM ET
Comments (7)
from John McGourty of NHL.com,
Steve Mason, the brilliant young goalie of the Columbus Blue Jackets, could become only the fifth NHL player to win the Vezina and Calder trophies in the same year.
But he’ll have to beat out the Minnesota Wild’s Niklas Backstrom, and Tim Thomas, whose league-leading goals-against average was a driving force for the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins this season.
Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
*sigh*
It’s gotten anymore so I look at the Vezina candidates list and it’s depressing.
Mason, Backstrom, Thomas… good goalies don’t get me wrong. But do we really feel they should win an award that’s belonged to goalies like Brodeur, Hasek, Roy, Plante, Dryden…?
Posted by Primis on 04/27/09 at 11:46 AM ET
the fact that post-season play isn’t taken into account for the vezina is a joke… when you’re playing the same opponent every other day, where one bad goal can swing the momentum against you and destroy your chances, and the pressure to win is magnified, that is where you find out who the best goalies in the league are. the conn smythe, like the hart, is more a trophy for skaters not for goalies.
yes, i’m a canucks fan and no, i still won’t accept that any of those 3 goalies (or the other 60-odd in the league) are better than luongo
Posted by fredster from manchester on 04/27/09 at 02:06 PM ET
Mason is by far the most deserving of these candidates. I’d almost say the only deserving choice of the three. Backstrom and Thomas play for rock-solid defensive teams- just look at the stats of their backups for proof that their success is at least partially due to the people they play behind.
Lungo, Rinne, Miller, even the exceptionally mercurial Lundqvist (at least over Backstrom, perhaps not Thomas)- these guys all had better years considering what they work with.
Posted by shanetx on 04/27/09 at 02:35 PM ET
Go Mason! I am so excited to see this young goalie nominated. He deserves to win both awards! He plays hard and has earned the respect and the awards!
Posted by Jeannie from Cincinnati on 04/27/09 at 03:25 PM ET
Don’t get me wrong, Mason is good. But he plays in front of a lock down trap team. How is that any better or worse than Backstrom or Thomas playing in front of their own solid D teams?
I really don’t know who deserves it most. Even Thomas, for as good as he’s been, is not a run-away winner having only played 54 games. Tough call.
Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 04/27/09 at 06:30 PM ET
What? Mike Green’s NOT nominated for the Vezina?!? It’s a conspiracy. Bastards.
Posted by SYF from a "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" on 04/27/09 at 06:32 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Making Peace At The Winter Classic
You Have A 2 1/2 Hour Window To Do What You Do
Marc Staal Trying To Find His ‘A’ Game
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Make extra cash while playing online poker. Rakeback is free and comes with rake races.
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
Give it to Mason. Thomas, although outstanding, has had incredible support from a complete team effort. Backstrom, although good and with much less support, has nonetheless not been able to lead his team to any major success. Mason was surrounded by fewer talent and fewer vets than Backstrom.
The points race is always misleading with OT wins and losses. I don’t have the patience to wade through it in depth for these guys, but hopefully the writers and GMs do for all of these awards. *Cough cough Norris cough Green sucks*
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 04/27/09 at 11:27 AM ET