Datsyerberger

Nice find. Also, that avatar is much more becoming of you.

Well, here's one of the Masterton finalists and his devotion to the NHL: http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/273897.html (Basically, Zednik signed with Yaroslavl) So yea, knowing that the voting is already done, it's gonna be all if he has more votes than Cheli, who truly HAS shown devotion.

Well, this year Chelios has 47 and coming back from a broken leg going for him. We'll see how that goes.

I voted "other" .. Pronger has been diligently studying pro wrestling, and learned the piledriver.

Could always move Detroit to the east. But then noone but Nucks, Flames, and Oil fans would watch the West. And not on VS.

Well, don't expect the Wings to get on VS. much. The NHL gets its dream series in Ovechkin & Green The Capitals vs Crosby and Malkin The Pens

Feds!

Between those 3, Pavs should take it, but you know how the media is with offensive stats, Doggy. Those shorties from Richards are gonna weigh heavily..

my god, this Columbus announcer is irritating. Sounds like he's screaming at you the entire game.

Holy Osgood @ that save. And can't complain about that period. Only 11 more goals to go.

Pull Mason! Play Dubie! (please!)

Eh, good pass, fast skating by Nash, super quick shot. Happens.

You said that Green had outperformed Lidstrom, and then went on to suggest he'd be a hell of a player if he developed like Lidstrom. So if Green > Lidstrom now, then Green will turn... worse as he develops?

Someone seriously just asked me if I stubbed my toe after reading that.

I hope he elevates his defense while keeping his offensive numbers the same, or even improving them. I'm always for more defensemen being recognized as stars.

Greene hasn't done jack. Green, on the other hand.. Seriously though, here's 2 posts I made on HF in regards to Green/The Norris Voting. And Sure, you can be great in one dimension and good or decent at both (Chara and Green), but being great in both? Much more valuable. That's why Niedermayer and Pronger have 1 Norris each to Lids' 6 in the same era.

Man, that would be 2 years in a row for that Phoenix guy! What's his salary?

Too bad he's probably not even a top 100 defensive forward in the league.

Lidstrom claims Salming as his favorite/most influential player, does he not?

I would say he did. Lidstrom revitalized the role of the smooth-skating, stick checking, positionally sound defenseman and took it to a level that is arguably unmatched in the history of the sport (I personally think he does the latter two even better than Orr did, though Orr has an edge on skating and physicality, not to mention offensive upside). Defensemen of the "skilled" variety were few and far between as "greats" before Lidstrom, and almost no Norris winners (exceptions being Coffey, a prolific goal scorer, and Orr, a prolific everything). The vast majority had been the physical, tough, hard hitting sort, blended in sometimes with good offensive upside as well (think the Bourque, Chelios sort). Nowadays, you see a large number of players like Duncan Keith, Nick Schultz, and others being regarded as among the best defensive d-men in the game, despite a lack of physical edge to their game. These same shutdown d-men avoid bad or frequent injury due to their style of play, a further asset to their team. Lidstrom is one of only a handful of d-men in hockey history that can claim to have a team built around him and his style of play for an extended period of time. Whereas Bobby Orr was more or less in a league of his own and pretty much a one man team, Lidstrom, in my opinion, epitomizes the idea of building from the "defense out" more than any other d-man in the history of the NHL. Perhaps no coincidence that the Red Wings have been the most successful team in the NHL since the year he joined the club full time. You could also argue that Lidstrom is a HUGE force in the recognition of European hockey players in the NHL, in particular Swedish players. I would argue him as the 2nd most talented European player to play in the NHL (with Hasek being first), and by far the most successful (including being the first European to captain an NHL team to the cup). Not only is Lidstrom an embodiment of the defense first idea, but he's also the first player that comes to my mind when someone brings up the "European style" of hockey. I suspect this is the same for many people. Oh, and then there's his class and humility, a great asset not to just the game but to the business and spirit of hockey...

I think Green will win it, because big numbers trump actual play in most awards anymore. Seems the media has forgotten the point of the Richard and the Ross...

TPBY (henceforth referred to as I/me) does indeed like oatmeal for breakfast and eats it fairly regularly. TPBM knows what rolls down stairs alone or in pairs, rolls over your neighbor's dog. What's great for a snack and fits on your back...

Yoda voice "That is why you fail"

RETS GO RED RINGS!

Wow, must be lonely on that planet.