Lidstrom's Norris chances?

[eva unit zero 271]

Neidermayer is playing better than what made him clear second, while Lidstrom is a little less potent offensively than what he was while he was a clear first. The lines have blurred a little. The Norris winner may be the better player in these last 3-6 games.

I still vote Lidstrom.

The fact that Lidstrom was the favorite before Pronger got hurt, and Pronger was outplaying Nieds, and that Nieds has not outplayed Nick since then, should be enough to reduce it to Pronger vs Lidstrom. And since Pronger missed games, he doesn't really get a fair shot in that comparison. Lidstrom wins.

Of course realistically Lidstrom should have six or seven Norrises going into this season...

[secondovertime 0]

As good as Lidstrom is , he has also been fortunate to have played his entire career in the relatively weaker western conference....check the stats when he plays the required one game against the eastern teams.....for the most part they go in to the minus figures...feasting on teams like Chicago, Columbus, etc. would put any defensemans numbers up. Those spectacular numbers he has would be much lower if teams were to play each other the same amount of games.

[toby91_ca 620]

As good as Lidstrom is , he has also been fortunate to have played his entire career in the relatively weaker western conference....check the stats when he plays the required one game against the eastern teams.....for the most part they go in to the minus figures...feasting on teams like Chicago, Columbus, etc. would put any defensemans numbers up. Those spectacular numbers he has would be much lower if teams were to play each other the same amount of games.

Your arguments could have had an ounce of merit if Nick's career only started last year, but since it didn't.....

Detroit wasn't playing Chicago and Columbus 8 times a year prior to the lockout.

[secondovertime 0]

Your arguments could have had an ounce of merit if Nick's career only started last year, but since it didn't.....

Detroit wasn't playing Chicago and Columbus 8 times a year prior to the lockout.

Right you are Toby, they weren't playing them 8 times a year prior to the lockout...they were playing western conference teams 5 or 6 times a year and the eastern conference teams 1 or 2 times a year. It still remains that Mr. Lidstrom was lucky enough to play against weaker teams for most of his career. There is just no way his stats would have been this inflated if he played against the stronger eastern teams the same amount of times he played against the west. The lack of parity in the N.H.L schedule has clouded some peoples judgment for years and it continues to this day.

[eva unit zero 271]

Right you are Toby, they weren't playing them 8 times a year prior to the lockout...they were playing western conference teams 5 or 6 times a year and the eastern conference teams 1 or 2 times a year. It still remains that Mr. Lidstrom was lucky enough to play against weaker teams for most of his career. There is just no way his stats would have been this inflated if he played against the stronger eastern teams the same amount of times he played against the west. The lack of parity in the N.H.L schedule has clouded some peoples judgment for years and it continues to this day.

Lidstrom is having some of his best offensive seasons in the 'new' NHL, and the Western Conference has been the STRONGER conference in said NHL.

The fact that Nick has been a first team All-Star seven times in the past eight seasons--will be eight in nine after this year--should tell you how dominant he has been, considering nobody else even comes close to that over that span. Guys like Pronger, Blake, Niedermayer, MacInnis, Chelios, Chara all have seen a spot there, but Nick has been a constant.

[Guest Tunbo Batman]

people with attention spans of less than 13 minutes really piss me off (this is why i hate the ******* habs and their fans too).

Mr Secondovertime here fails to recall that THOSE TEAMS WEREN'T ALWAYS WEAK. Actually, prior to the new CBA, the Blues were a regular-season powerhouse. Chicago had great years. And anyone who knows hockey just a little bit is aware that the western conference is the stronger one**. While the east has had perpetually-mediocre-to-bad teams like Toronto, Boston and Montreal (since 1990) to "feast on", this last decade's two best teams (DET and COL) are in the west, and right now Southern california has not one but TWO scary-good teams. Also, this year we've faced the 49-19-8 Nashville 8 times. hardly "feasting on weak teams" if you ask me.

**Just thought id argue that bold statement a bit more. Look at the total points per conference. The west has a very winning percentage over the east this year. Also, look at the playoff race. The west has eight solid playoff contenders that can actually win lots of games in a row to secure a spot; the east has five such teams, and a bunch of okayish teams battling it out for the last 3 spots. It takes 96 points to make it in the west, and 87 in the east. Colorado would easily be in the POs in the east; if Montreal was in the west, the PO hopes would be long gone. You can actually be in the playoffs WITH A NEGATIVE GOAL DIFFERENTIAL if you're in the east.

Edited April 1, 2007 by Tunbo Batman

[poxer 0]

The way Lidstrom has played this year it would be a crime not to give him the Norris trophy. He's leading in the +/- department second in D overal points? (last time I checked he was.) He's always on the ice. Around 29 minutes a game is a lot of ice time and is always practicing. Not to mention all of the good plays he makes which are countless.

[Majsheppard 203]

Yeah I think Scott has this one wrapped up....

That streak of 3 -3 games or more back a few weeks ago and the scoring slump has really done him in.

[Vincanni 1]

Let's watch Scott team up with Lilja going against other team's top lines and see how brilliant his numbers become, or put him on the powerplay with Schneids the SH goals against machine. Even considering that lidstrom's +/- is over 4 times that of Scott's. In the scope of offensive play Niedermayer's numbers have been slightly better (even though Pronger is ALOT stronger offensively on the PP than Schneids), but defensively Lidstrom's numbers have been far and away better than Scott's. Comparing the two on a even keel basis comparing both assets of their games Lidstrom is far and away the winner.

As for the West being weaker than the East, that's entirely bogus especially through the years of the big 4 in Detroit, Dallas, Colorado, and St Louis. Not too mention the West has been considerably better than the East this year and I don't see that trend changing next year with the possible exception of Pitt turning into a dynasty if all pans out well for them.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

the east is the weaker confrence by far. Just because the cup winners have been from their recently its only because one team just crushed all the others while the west was close.