The Mirtle All-Stars

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 6:00 AM CST Comment 20 comments

Forget online voting and Mike Komisarek in your starting lineup: Here are my 42 choices as the best players so far this season. Unlike the NHL's list, I won't make an effort to include all 30 NHL teams, so some top clubs have a lot of representation.

The league will reveal the full all-star teams a conference at a time at noon, one today and one tomorrow.

Eastern Conference

Starters

Evgeni Malkin: The best player in the league this season
Alex Ovechkin: He's not far behind
Sidney Crosby: Hasn't had a ton of help from his linemates

Zdeno Chara: May be his year for the Norris
Mike Green: Hard to argue with nearly a point a game

Tim Thomas: Quite a story (again)

Reserves

Forwards (9): Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, Marc Savard, Mike Richards, Thomas Vanek, Daniel Alfredsson, Alexander Semin, Simon Gagne, Nicklas Backstrom

Defencemen (4): Andrei Markov, Jay Bouwmeester, Dennis Wideman, Kimmo Timonen

Goalies (2): Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist

Western Conference

Starters

Joe Thornton: As Fenwick points out, he's the guy getting it done
Pavel Datsyuk: Brilliant at both ends of the ice
Patrick Marleau: On pace for a career year

Nick Lidstrom: Talk of his demise is nonsense
Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Probably the most underrated player in the NHL

Nikolai Khabibulin: Unwanted early on, he's been terrific

Reserves

Forwards (9): Ryan Getzlaf, Jarome Iginla, Patrick Kane, Mikko Koivu, Rick Nash, Henrik Zetterberg, Daniel Sedin, Shane Doan, Marian Hossa

Defencemen (4): Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Lubomir Visnovsky, Brian Rafalski

Goalies (2): Steve Mason, Niklas Backstrom

Eastern Conference
Ovechkin-Malkin-Crosby
Parise-Savard-Carter
Vanek-Backstrom-Semin
Gagne-Richards-Alfredsson

Chara-Green
Markov-Bouwmeester
Wideman-Timonen

Thomas
Price
Lundqvist

Western Conference

Marleau-Thornton-Datsyuk
Nash-Getzlaf-Iginla
Zetterberg-Koivu-Kane
Sedin-Hossa-Doan

Lidstrom-Vlasic
Weber-Keith
Visnovsky-Rafalski

Khabibulin
Mason
Backstrom

Honourable mentions (10): Patrik Elias, Rob Blake, Ryan Miller, Dan Boyle, Phil Kessel, Martin St. Louis, Nik Zherdev, Dwayne Roloson, Henrik Sedin, Ales Hemsky

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Comments

You have no use for one player per NHL team on your all star list?

by PuckStopsHere on Jan 7, 2009 6:14 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I think James gets it right!

The game might draw a little more interest if the squads weren’t clogged up with players representing poor teams, who have no business being there.

Between the skills competition and the Young Stars Game,I think there is the more appropriate opportunity to get all organizations involved. In the Blues’ case, they shouldn’t have any players in the actual game, but they would have at least in few in the Young Stars competition.

by tbell61 on Jan 7, 2009 9:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

No. Teams like St. Louis, Atlanta and the Islanders don’t need representation during awful years.

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 12:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I don’t think the every-team-represented rule should be upheld religiously. But there is a case for Mark Streit — as honorable mention at least, if not above Wideman.

Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Jan 7, 2009 12:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He’ll be on the team, I bet, unless they go with Weight as a sentimental pick. Streit’s been decent but given too many minutes. He probably shouldn’t be on the penalty kill all the time.

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Now that all-star game I’d watch.

Who votes for the Norris trophy, anyway? I wonder if all the talk about Lidstrom’s fall from contention is the voters jumping on his slow start from a busted nose to tout someone else just because they are bored voting for him all the time.

I’d believe it if the voters are media. Some of them have the attention span of gnats and are easily distracted.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jan 7, 2009 6:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

P.S.

I don’t mean Chara is undeserving of the Norris – he’s been very good. But I even hear Phaneuf in the conversation, and his year seems to be mediocre at best. There just seems to be a desire to find someone, anyone else to vote for.

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jan 7, 2009 6:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Despite a general consensus of hockey fans who believe Lidstrom is falling from grace in terms of the Norris (I don’t see it), I just read this article on The SportingNews about how Lidstrom is still #1, but Chara is a very close second. The Bruins GM thinks so at least…

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by FrankD on Jan 7, 2009 7:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Here’s hoping D. Keith makes the team. Probably won’t happen, because Campbell (undeservingly so) already represents Chicago on the blueline.

Don't be afraid to take a few steps back, but you better keep moving forward.

by wlittle on Jan 7, 2009 8:22 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

No Leafs?!?!?!

That sounds about right…

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by PPP on Jan 7, 2009 8:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I’d take Savard over Crosby as a starter. Nearly identical stats and Savard’s a much better defender. (And he sucker punches guys less, sucker punches them in the ‘nads less, and he doesn’t instigate fights while wearing a visor.)

Modern Art Notes

by TylerG on Jan 7, 2009 9:16 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don’t see four Caps making it. AO and Green, maybe Backstrom (who deserves it, but may lose out in the numbers game). Semin loses out for partially political reasons (and he’s been injured a lot).

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by J.P. on Jan 7, 2009 10:10 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

no even mention of Paul Stastny?

ouch

by thedoctor on Jan 7, 2009 10:56 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

He’s hurt.

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 12:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ouch indeed

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by Savage33 on Jan 14, 2009 2:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

With this 1 per team thing...

One has to wonder at the NHL’s selection of Luongo as the lone Canuck… I highly doubt he’ll be there with his health up in the air. Did they really think that one through? So, if Luo can’t make it, but everyone else can, does that mean that Sanford or Labarbera fill in for Luo to make the 1 per team requirement?

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by saskhab on Jan 7, 2009 11:15 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

In baseball, if the lone team representative cannot play, the replacement player doesn’t have to be from the same team…the original player, however, gets the honor of being on the All Star Team and is usually introduced with the rest of the squad. I would imagine the NHL would follow the same format. Luongo is considered “on the team”, but another goalkeeper who is deemed worthy would be selected.

by tbell61 on Jan 7, 2009 12:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that’s how the NHL does it. The Canucks won’t get represented unless there’s an injury elsewhere they can fill.

by James Mirtle on Jan 7, 2009 12:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I can’t argue with that list.

Well done, James.

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by Gustafsson on Jan 7, 2009 11:23 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Mark Streit

Alright, I’ll throw in some homerism love for Mark Streit. What he’s doing — in the top tier in points among D-men, 25 minutes per night — is pretty remarkable, considering his teammates.

He’s not always against the opponents’ top line, but they’re not hiding him, either.

Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Jan 7, 2009 12:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs