74 replies to this topic

[van_can_man]

I don't have a vote, but if I did:

-- Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks would be my Hart Trophy choice. It's hardly scientific analysis, but my sense of watching him, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby this season is that Sedin played at the highest level on a consistent basis, that his play was less peaks and valleys than the two faces of the game today.

I am not even going to use the "most valuable to his team" proviso because, for me, the Hart Trophy is more about the player who performed at the highest level all season than it is who was most valuable to his team, even though the wording says that.

I know Sedin comes up light in the goal department but game in, game out, he was absolutely terrific in every aspect of the game. You could pick any one of the three and rationalize it. I mean, Ovechkin played 10 less games than the others and still produced at an astonishing rate. Crosby doesn't have the supporting cast of Ovechkin and tied for the Rocket Richard Trophy with Stamkos and Sedin won the Art Ross.

As for the goalies - Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov - I would only consider a netminder for the Hart if the goalie dominated his position and the league the way Dominik Hasek did when he was in his prime. Pitchers shouldn't be excluded from MVP voting in baseball and goalies shouldn't automatically be out of the Hart race in hockey, but their numbers need to be phenomenal, off the charts.

-- Buffalo's Tyler Myers would be my choice for the Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year.

Colorado's Matt Duchene would be my runner-up and I'd have to flip a coin between the two rookie goalies - Detroit's Jimmy Howard and Boston's Tuuka Rask - for the third spot.

I would probably give it to Howard on the basis of the heavier workload, although it seems ludicrous that the goalie - not just the rookie goalie - with the best goals-against average and best save percentage in the entire NHL doesn't get a vote for the Calder. One could argue 45 games isn't enough for Rask to win a major award but since Tom Barrasso won the Calder (over some kid named Yzerman) and the Vezina with fewer games than that, well, it's certainly not unprecedented. Come to think of it, Rask has to get a vote here and I feel shame and guilt for it being a third-place vote.

Sorry, Tuuka. Sorry, Jimmy. But I really liked Duchene's year and think he deserves the recognition for an amazing contribution to one of the biggest surprise teams in the NHL this season.

Okay, I am obliged to make playoff predictions, so here they are in all their gory glory: Washington over Montreal in 6; Philadelphia over New Jersey in 6; Buffalo over Boston in 7; Pittsburgh over Ottawa in 6; San Jose over Colorado in 6; Chicago over Nashville in 6; Los Angeles over Vancouver in 6; Detroit over Phoenix in 5.

Predictions may be the dumbest thing ever - I mean, if the media was any good at forecasting outcomes, we'd all be living in mansions in Vegas -- but they go with the territory. So there you go…

http://tsn.ca/blogs/...nzie/?id=317809



Pass it on

Edited by van_can_man, 12 April 2010 - 06:54 PM.

[King of Anarchy]

It’s pretty clear to me that he is Maggie’s replacement as TSN’s playoff monkey.

[c0medyClub]

He'll be right too if the defence and Luongo can't play better.

[YaK]

How does Bob McKenzie not get a vote?
Also, he is usually decent with his predictions, but here's to him being wrong about the Vancouver series!

Edited by YaK, 12 April 2010 - 06:16 PM.

[SidneyRaymond]

I know Los Angeles is a good team, but no way they beat Vancouver.

Vancouver has much more depth and experience.

Los Angeles may look good on paper, but the whole team has little to no playoff experience. LA havent made the postseason for the past 6-7 years. Plus, Quick is a young goaltender still. Not many young goaltenders make it too far.

My prediction:
Vancouver and LA both win their respective first 2 home games.
In games 5 and 6, Quick breaks down and Vancouver capatilizes and wins the series 4-2.

[Shattenkirk's Bald Spot]

Meh, he can have his opinion. He says his picks are an entire crapshoot. He wanted to pick and upset and there it is.

[playboi19]

Good, more comments like this please. Underdog here we come.

[.Naslund]

Yo guys, you never know what could happen. Maybe we will lose. Who knows? Review these predictions after the series is over.

[captaincanuck88]

is there no maggie the monkey this year it just won't be the same that monkey makes more sense then any of those analysts ever could for playoff predictions

[Zach Parise]

SidneyRaymond, on 12 April 2010 - 06:14 PM, said:

I know Los Angeles is a good team, but no way they beat Vancouver.

Vancouver has much more depth and experience.

Los Angeles may look good on paper, but the whole team has little to no playoff experience. LA havent made the postseason for the past 6-7 years. Plus, Quick is a young goaltender still. Not many young goaltenders make it too far.

My prediction:
Vancouver and LA both win their respective first 2 home games.
In games 5 and 6, Quick breaks down and Vancouver capatilizes and wins the series 4-2.

Tell That to Cam Ward LOL

[Metalcore1487]

Anything can happen :/

[Donky]

He really sucked me in with the Hank for Hart talk...then muppeted his way through his picks! Philly over New Jersey? LA over the Canucks....come on Bob!!

[Rink on Renfrew]

I like everything he said their except the Kings vs Canucks prediction.

My opinion doesn't have to match his,so I'm happy with his article. Someone has to go out on a limb and this is his way of positioning himself to look good (if L.A. can beat us in six he'd look real smart) if Canucks win,he can say "well the Kings had alot of young players and they put up a good fight" it's win win for him this way.

[Alame.Vigneault]

Who cares... it's a prediction, not a fact.

Edited by Alame.Vigneault, 12 April 2010 - 06:19 PM.

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

I see Jimmy Howard winning the Calder based on that he was relied on more night in and night out to win games countless games for the Red Wings as Duchene wasn't as much. He played will with the Avs but the light has been neutral on him, I find that Howard really gave his all to the Wings this season and deserves the award over Duchene.

Edited by CRAZY_4_NAZZY, 12 April 2010 - 06:20 PM.

[WestCoastCanucks]

I just saw that too. McKenzie is the most respected analyst out there and I value his opinion above all others as far as media is concerned as he is usually bang on. Hopefully he is wrong about the Kings though. Of course everyone has an opinion and I could definitely see the Kings beating the Canucks too. It will be a close series. No team is really that much of a favourite in this series. I don't see Philly beating NJ but who knows, it's the playoffs and crazier things have happened.


Nice to see him give Hank some recognition for the Hart though.

Edited by WestCoastCanucks, 12 April 2010 - 06:22 PM.

[kchengc]

haha... i don't really care about how he predicts... i think he picked up to beat the hawks last season too... so what... ;p if we are indeed without mitchell, salo, o'brien, rome i think mackenzie is absolutely correct.. ;p however, i m sure some of the guys can come back in time for the playoffs... plus, once again luongo is on a mission to prove the critics wrong...

[sport scout]

the Canucks just need Luongo to play well and the team should be fine. He said in the province that he is feeling good right now, and has the excitement that he hasnt had since the olymipics.

[canucker27]

^
AGREED

[DS4quality]

I see he also picked Philly over NJ, and he thinks Montreal will win 2 games... mwa hahahahaha

[trav_have]

He's right unless the team gets better defensively and Luongo can play like a star again.

[KoreanCanuck00]

It's a prediction, like how no one predicted the Coyotes to be in the playoffs and they have home ice advantage. I like McKenzie, but even if it was any other analyst, I wouldn't really care because it's their opinion. Now talking about how assists don't matter.. that's just retardness

[Gnickers87]

I knew going into this that a lot of people would pick the Kings over the Canucks, especially cause of Luongo. But a lot of times it's a double standard because Quick has arguably struggled worse then Luongo of late and has zero playoff experiences.

[PuckMaestro]

Right on!

-I'd forgotten about Maggie.

King of Anarchy, on 12 April 2010 - 06:13 PM, said:

It’s pretty clear to me that he is Maggie’s replacement as TSN’s playoff monkey.

[kchengc]

and may be mckenzie is onto something... NO CANADIAN TEAM advancing to the 2nd round... surprise surprise... this is bettman's league... they should have renamed it BHL (bettman's hockey league) because if u see phx getting 107 points in a season u know something weird is going on...

[soshified]

Well you know what? Bob Mckenzie can suck it!

Go Canucks Go!

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Why do people get so upset when someone picks L.A over us? We are facing a team we finish 2 points ahead guys, it's going to be quite a even match up. Also I think Bob Mckenzie is one of the best hockey panel's out there, but he's not the best when it comes to chosing playoffs matches. I remember he got the 2004 Flames Canucks series wrong, but other then that, yea...... just an opinion.

[SidneyRaymond]

M.Gaborik10, on 12 April 2010 - 06:17 PM, said:

Tell That to Cam Ward LOL

Like I said, Not many young goaltenders(still in their rookie contract) make it too far in the playoffs.

Plus, there are quite a few games for Quick where he completely broke down during the Reg Season.

[point_zero]

I really respect McKenzie and his hockey knowledge, I was wondering if he gave a reasons for the LA win, I think it'd be interesting to hear them (I can't watch the YT vid). Regardless at the end of the day it's all predictions, and IIRC TSN had Phoenix pegged at #29(30?) at the beginning of the year, so meh.

[tonyDaTiger]

We have the firepower, but our biggest X-factor is defense and Luongo(ironically)...

Other than that, I'm just going to sit back and enjoi the ride without thinking too much about the outcome...