A translation from Canoe.ca
Could we see six Montreal Canadiens players as the starting lineup for the Eastern Conference at the All Star game?
The question has some merit since
From November 12th to January 2nd, fans are asked to vote for the starting lineup of the All Star Game. Then the coaches will pick the players to complete the team.
Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay and Alex Kovalev, with over 14 000 each, easily lead in the forward category. Following are Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron with less tha n 8000 as I am writing this (note from BB: 16:30)
The scenario is the same on defense where Andrei Markov (20 280) and Mike Komisarek (16 763) are flying over their competition. To illustrate, the following defensemen is Zdeno Chara with 8 797 votes.
In the goalie category, Carey Price has twice as many votes as anybody else with more than 21 000 votes. That’s the highest amount of any player in the NHL so far.
In the Western Conference, Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Sheldon Souray and goalie Roberto Luongo are leading the votes for starters.
The All Star game will be held in
Big Brother
Can we please relax? I hope I’m not gonna have to translate daily results from the NHL ballot. Yes, the Habs fans are voting a lot but this can’t be serious. After ONE day we needed an update? This is going to be a long two months.
Also, I absolutely loved Komisarek reaction when he learned of his inclusion on the ballot:
“Can someone tell me who makes those decision? I don’t belong there”
No. He doesn’t. For two main reasons. First, his play, while solid defensively, doesn’t really warrant a starter position on the All Star game. But most importantly… can you tell me what the guy is going to do in a game where hitting is seen as bad sportsmanship?
There’s no problem with Habs fans stuffing the ballot box, that’s the way the process works, and getting the guys on home ice for an All-Star game would be extra special.
While you’re plunking away on that website, however, considering casting a write-in Western Conference vote for J.P. Dumont, a Montreal native who’s off to a great start in Nashville, tied for 2nd in the NHL with 15 assists with Sid Crosby…
“There’s no problem with Habs fans stuffing the ballot box”
I agree. There is a problem with the media giving you an hour to hour update. It is unnecessary.
I disagree about Komisarek. It is a team sport, and you need different types of players to create a winning team. Last season Mark Streit was one of the highest scoring “defensemen” in the league, but I don’t think anyone would say he was more crucial to the team success than Komisarek.
You also really underrate his puck skills. Mike put up better scoring numbers in college than any of the defense prospects they have had there since, and guys like Fischer, McDonagh, etc. were supposed to be puckhandlers. Same in his first season in the AHL.
It is just at the NHL level that he has been pidgeonholed as a strict stay at home defender. That is because the team was overloaded with smaller types who can’t play defense like Streit, Brisebois, Bouillon, Dandeneault, etc. who had to play on the power play because it was less dangerous to put them out in that situation.
I have to agree with rob on this one. Successful teams require different ingredients. And Mike Komisarek is one of the best at a couple of those ‘ingredients’. Komi is consistently at the top of the league in blocked shots and hits, is solid defensively and is an indispensible part of this team. Add to that the fact that MK and Markov are one of the top defensive pairings in the NHL and he definitely deserves all-star consideration.
Bob Gainey wasnt exactly burning out the goal light but he deserved every one of his 4 All-Star appearances.
As far as hitting not being valued in an All-Star game, neither is shutout goaltending. During the All Star game, we don’t expect goalies to maintain the goals against or save percentage that got them into the game, so why would we expect Komisarek to put on a hitting display?
Dirk, Dumont has my sentimental vote while I’m stuffing the ballot box with Hab players…..LOL, though they’re stinking up the arena against the Bruins right now…..3-0!!!
I’ve just added a widget to allow readers to access the voting site to vote for their players
Rob (and since you just plain don’t like to agree with me, Rocket) let’s remember one or two things.
The All Star is NOT for the players. It’s for the fans and the business partners. It’s an opportunity to sell the game to an audience that may not usually watch hockey (kind of like the Superbowl works with my mom).
Komo, as much as I love him, doesn’t fit well in that format. Yes, goalies are bombarded but they still try to do the same exact job as usual. Komo without hitting doesn’t sell the sport as a feature on his best hits. Ask Thornton he’ll remember. Ok… maybe he doesn’t.
Gainey was invited to the All Star game four times (I couldn’t find if he ever was a starter) and scored 15, 20, 23 and 21 goals those years. Those were his most productive years.
So I’ll keep agreeing with Komo. There are players who would have been better on that ballot (Hamerlik is a good example)
Forget Komisarek at the All Star game. On an All Star team, absolutely. Or better yet, just give him the Norris.
What I was trying to say about Mike’s underrated puck skills. He doesn’t get a chance to show them much because he is paired with Markov at even strength, plays most of the shorthanded situations, and gives way to defensemen who have poor defensive skills on the PP, so they can get some action.
Remember that breakaway goal he scored? Mike was close to being the top scoring Hab defenseman excluding PP points the past couple of years. If he was a regular on the PP he would have over 40 points per year.
Obviously he isn’t going to crush anyone in the All Star game, but I’m sure he could surprise the fans with some slick puck moves in the right situation.
Whether they were Gainey’s most productive years or not, Bob didn’t go to the All-Star game based on his goal scoring ability.
In 1985-86, Gainey scored 20 goals and 43 points. That placed him 7th in TEAM scoring.
Gretzky led the league with 215 points. 13 players had over 100 points that year (Mats Naslund was #8). 30 players had 80 points (almost double Gainey’s output).
Kjell Dahlin had 71 points the same year and I don’t recall him making an appearance at the All-Star game.
So it simply reinforces the point that players, like Komisarek, are included in the All-Star game for reasons other than pure scoring.
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