NHL Awards Watch: Vanek attacks the Hart; Boudreau, Therrien enter the Adams race
(Ed. Note: This is a weekly feature on Puck Daddy in which we vote on the major NHL Awards. “We” being Wyshynski, Leahy, Mooney, Yahoo! NHL editor Sam McCaig and Yahoo! NHL scribe Nick Cotsonika. Voting is completed Monday night. The results will run every Tuesday on this very blog. Enjoy.)
As we near the 10-game mark in this 48-game mini-marathon to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, some things are coming into focus.
Like the fact that Thomas Vanek may factor in on every goal the Sabres score this season. Like the fact that Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz are in a rookie death match in Edmonton. Like the fact that Michel Therrien may actually be the coach of the year. Raise your hand if you saw that coming.
[Also: Should Shawn Thornton have fought John Scott?]
Who are the favorites for the NHL’s major awards this week? Your friends at Puck Daddy have the answers.
A note on the voting: All four panelists ranked the top five for each award, and point values were assigned to each player. Ties were broken by how high a player was ranked on the majority of ballots.
Hart Trophy
1. Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres (27)
2. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators (16)
3. Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks (14)
4. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (10)
5. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (5)
Marleau tumbles down from the top spot in last week’s rankings, which is understandable when Vanek is playing at an over two points-per-game pace. Anderson is 5-2-1, and that .964 save percentage is stellar. Stamkos gets the nod over Marty St. Louis, who also received votes. Price’s 6-1-0 record has powered the surprising Habs.
Norris Trophy
1. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues (22)
2. Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens (18)
3. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators (14)
4. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins (10)
5. Tobias Enstrom, Winnipeg Jets (4)
What, no love for Shatt? Kevin Shattenkirk received some votes for the Norris, but when you’re playing in the shadow of Alex Pietrangelo, it’s tough to break through. Markov has been the best defenseman in the East. Karlsson and Letang are right with him. Enstrom is leading the NHL with 11 points, six of them on the power play.
Vezina Trophy
1. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators (24)
2. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (18)
3. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks (11)
4. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks (9)
5. Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks (5)
Anderson has played in 8 games and has given up 9 goals. That’s sick. Price remains a work horse and a consistent performer. Crawford has benefited from strong defense in front of him, but has still played to a 1.66 GAA. Niemi’s been the backbone of the Sharks’ fast start. And then we come to Luongo, who is 3-0-2 and sports a 1.53 GAA. Can a backup goalie win the Vezina? (Dropping from last week: Martin Brodeur.)
Calder Trophy
1. Vladamir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues (24)
2. Cory Conacher, Tampa Bay Lightning (21)
3. Justin Schultz, Edmonton Oilers (10)
4. Nail Yakupov, Edmonton Oilers (9)
5. Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens (7)
Yakupov supplants Dougie Hamilton on this list. Otherwise, it’s the same collection as last week, with January Rookie of the Month Tarasenko leading the way, despite Conacher leading NHL rookies in scoring.
Jack Adams
1. Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks (19)
2. Todd McLellan, San Jose Sharks (17)
3. Guy Boucher, Tampa Bay Lightning (15)
4. Michel Therrien, Montreal Canadiens (13)
5. Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks (7)
Wow, what a battle here. The bench bosses for the two best teams in the West take the top spots, while Tampa’s plus-18 goal differential gives Boucher a boost. But look at those two old school characters filling out the ranking: Therrien has helped transform the Habs into contenders, while Boudreau’s Ducks are challenging for the division title. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. …
Superlatives
Best Faceoff Man
1. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
2. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
3. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
The Bruins’ Selke winner is leading the way on faceoffs again, at 63.5 percent. But check out Pavs’ 64.2 percent faceoff winning percentage away from the Joe, just edging Bergeron. Toews has a 61.2 winning percentage on 183 faceoffs.
Team Most Likely To Make a Panic Trade
1. Washington Capitals
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
One assumes the Capitals are going to do something, even if it’s not Roberto Luongo. The local Philly media is banging the Bobby Ryan drums again. And how long will the Leafs' new owners allow them to linger under the bubble until a trade arrives?
Most Underwhelming Goalies
1. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
Fleury has had his moments, but he’s also been lit up by the Islanders and Leafs. Kipper has come out of the gate slowly, giving up five goals twice. But Pavelec has both faced a lot of shots and let more than his share in: Only Ryan Miller has allowed more, but Pavelec’s 23 in seven games is good for a 3.56 GAA.
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