All-Purpose Hockey Thread II

Marty Brodeur posted his seventh shutout of the season this afternoon in Montreal.

He has to be the front-runner for NHL MVP, no?

 

Vezina, yup, Hart, probably not.

I think a case could be made for Ovechkin or the Baby Jesus for the Hart. And I'd say that you could even make an argument for Shanahan.

 

Here's my argument for Brodeur: Take him away from the Devils. Are they still a top seed in the East? Do they lead the Atlantic? Are they a playoff team? No, no and no. As of today, the Devils have only allowed 99 goals. In a league that has restructured its rules to benefit offense, it's almost unheard of.

 

Do the Devils have a back-up goalie? Best kept secret in the NHL.

 

And right on time, Scott Morrison the hockey Hall of Famer journalist has his take on the MVP at the midseason;

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/morrison/2007/01/twohorse_race_for_midseason_mv.html

He believes it comes down to Crosby or Brodeur

 

Did the Red Wings just go 0-3 in Southern California?

 

Yes. Scott Clemmensen. A stiff. Has been since he was at BC [/anti-BC fanboy]

 

Yeah but that's like asking if the Leafs had back up during the Cujo years. They did, and you sure as hell as a Leafs fan didn't want to see Glenn Healy between the pipes

 

Like pitchers in baseball (after all pitcher already get the Cy and goalies get the Vezina), you'll rarely see a goalie win the MVP. It has to be an otherworldy performance by the goalie to get the Hart. My vote right now would go to Crosby.

 

It's not like pitchers though, pitchers only start 30 games per year, if they're lucky.

The starting goalie starts roughly 80 per cent of his team's games.

I always evaluate the MVP by taking him away from the team he plays for and seeing what's left. Devils - Brodeur = not much left.

 

I was just citing the historical predjudice againt goalies winning the Hart. Only three goalies have ever won it since they started handing it out in 1924: Jose Theodoe (2002), Dominik Hasek (1997,1998) and Jaques Plante (1962).

 

Which is sort of a crime. I mean, there had to be more than three goaltenders worth MVP status since 1924.