Fri 15 Jun 2007
Congratulations Marty on winning his 3rd Vezina Trophy!
I would have to imagine that this trophy might be a little more satisfying because the likes of Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens were not in front of you this time around. That isn’t to say the group of guys in front of you don’t deserve some kind of recognition but you know the haters out there will point out the first two Vezina wins were with two very solid d-men in front of you.
I was wrong on my other predicitons though. I guess it was more a choice from the heart giving Marty my nod for Hart but he did carry this team all season. I guess when it comes down to it, there is no beating out Sid the Kid for that award. I really thought Jay Pandolfo would win and I am not sure how they came around to choosing Rod Brind’Amour but I think the real shocker of the night was Michel Therrien not winning for coach of the year.
July 1 is slowly creeping up on us…
June 15th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
The Devils will always receive the absolute minimum as far as awards…they didn’t even want to give us the Conn Smythe in 2003. =P Nonetheless, as long as Bettman is in control, Crosby will be MVP of this planet. As for the Selke, I felt Brind’Amour deserved it the LEAST of all the candidates - his team failed to make the playoffs, he had a mediocre season. It didn’t fit for me. Pahlsson, I would’ve been fine with because he had a great season and his team won the CUP! Who knows - Pando will never get the recognition he deserves, in my opinion. Oh well - at least Marty earned something. I think that was the least they could do - it was the obvious choice.
June 15th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Pando finished third in voting for the Selke. How could that be when he and Pahlsson’s respective teams lead their division most of the year and the Canes fluctuated from 10-7 spot all year? Brindy really did his job this year!
Finally, Crosby is a great player who truly benefited from Evgeni Malkin on his line. Malkin arrived from Russia with a better two way game than Crosby and was on his line most of the year. Malkin’s first year in the league and he finishes six goals, eleven assists and a plus +2 in his first year of NHL play, with a NHL dimensions than he has played his entire life. So how much did Malkin help Crosby?
In turn the Devils had a more stable year in the standings than the transition year of 2005/06 which still seen the Devils win the division. The Devils were at the top of the divison more weeks this most recent season with scroing less goals and allowing fewer goals than that 05/06 “transition” year. Rafalksi and Martin had off years offensively and White and Hale were hot and cold. Luckowich was solid all the way and the rest of the players were journeymen and rookies, promising rookies at that in Greene, Fraser and Oduya. Ths enters Martin Brodeur who had 12 shutouts behind a rebuilding D. Aside from Parise and the pleasent surprise of Travis Zajac the top line had lacklaster years and again no help in the goals department by the D.
Marty has been taken for granted over and over again. He should have at least two more Vezina’s in his case, a 2003 Conn Smythe and we now add to the list the missing 2007 Hart trophy to go along with the 2003 Hart.
Martin Brodeur could argueably go down as the best of all time, by far the best of his generation. Marty was never a back up like Hasek and he never had the best team money could buy such as Roy in Colorado.
And for the final point proff that MArty was screwed yet again: Two shootouts versus the Kid named Sid and Marty blanked him both times. Devils win both games. Also the only goaltender to shutout out the Pens two times this year was Martin Brodeur.
Whomever voted for Crosby and Louongo not only shamed themselves, but a true icon of the game.
I have one last question for the longest running Hockey publication in the world: The Hockey News. So how stupid and ignorant do you feel naming Kiprusoff(t) not only the best goalie..but the best player in the league?
As it stand’s today, June 15, 2007, Martin Brodeur has Three Stanley Cups, One Gold and Silver olympic medal plus the 2004 World Cup Championship over the THN hero of Kiprusoff (all starting by the way). Marty was and still is better!
How does this sound for a stupid reality: Jose Theodore has a Hart trophy and not Martin Brodeur.
June 17th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Marty still has 5 yrs left, I wonder how many more Vezina’s He can rack up. I’m not trying to send People to other sites because I truly do LOVE this one and I’ve been having great fun here,and I know that We have been bashing Gomer a bit for some of His up and down play but when ever I think about Gomer leaving the one thing that I will miss if He goes is His goofy sense of humor.On the In Lou We trust site there is a Gomez golf camp promo that He did where He is wearing full on Argyle gear and it is a pretty funny. It reminds Me that athletes are also in the entertainment business too, Pando got jipped big time and He gets no respect, during the awards show (that I had to record cuz they changed it to 11pm)anyway when they announced the Selke nom’s they showed all of the Guys in that catagory His face was blocked out by a big bald Guy (who I think was Marty’s brother)and they also bagged on Him behind His back because He rented His suit, nice Huh?