As the Crosby/Ovechkin debate rages on, one thing that can't be debated is the fact that one of them won the Calder Trophy last year and one didn't. Still, the MSM, apparently dissatisfied with that result, continues to engage in a brand of revisionist history that would make George W. Bush blush (ok, maybe not). Take a gander at this line from NHL.com's Sean Roarke: Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin, who nipped Crosby for the Calder Trophy last season, will play one of the wings [at this year's All-Star game].Nipped? Nipped?! AO received 124 of 129 first place votes and totalled 1,275 total voting points to Crosby's 831. In fact, at the time NHL.com said that Ovechkin "ran away with the award."
Seven months later, AO "nipped" Crosby for the trophy. Mission accomplished.
[H/t to Decline the Penalty for the pointer]
18 comments:
Unrelated Rumor of the Day:
According to the local radio Junkies (i think it was Cakes), their "inside sources" say that the Caps will be changing their unis as early as next season.
No kidding? I also heard rumors that the President might propose a troop escalation in Iraq and that Rock Hudson could be gay.
1) The AO/ Crosby debates will go on and on. AO won the Calder and definitly deserved it
2) It bodes well for the NHL that the 2 best players in the league today are 21 and 19 respectively. That in of itself is amazing!
All teams are changing their unis as early as next season. The new unis are those ridiculous slim/form-fitting ones we've heard so much about...
Our local radio Junkies are garbage.
That's the less sarcastic and condescending version of what I was getting at.
The team has all-but confirmed a return to a red, white and blue color scheme for next year as well.
Well, where the heck was i when these announcements were being made? i do not recalled being consulted on this.
1) Would have thought they'd use the red/white/blue unis as a 3rd jersey THIS Season
2) Just another revenue enhancing gimmick
The NHL is doing away with the third jersey program. If they had added one for one season - i.e. until they are mandated by the League to change their uniforms for next year - that would have been a real "revenue enhancing gimmick."
1. Related to original post - There seems to be a Don Cherry - Sean Avery vibe in the offices over at NHL.com with unsupported comments like those of that writer. National media outlets in the U.S and Canada seem to get more excited about Crosby than Ovechkin. He's obviously a Canadian hero, but still. He also gets to play on a line with Malkin a lot of the time. No offense to Clark/Zubrus, but no comparison either.
2. Related to Jerseys - Living out here in Colorado, I don't get to see any home games. And that Bronze number on black background is murder to try to see when I'm watching NHL Center Ice and the Caps are at home. Sooo... how about a number/jersey combo that is legible?
Well, remember Ovechkin was/is older than Crosby and got to have his CALDER year at an advanced age. Compared Crosby of today to Ovechkin of last season, and we see Crosby is better.
Hey, there's nothing wrong with being 2nd best ;)
As for the new unis..they will suck. Look at the WJC for a 'fine' example of how they just butchered the look of the things. The countries barely look all that distinctive...
Jes - none of what you said changes the fact that Ovechkin won the RoY in a friggin' landslide, contrary to that columnist's laziness and/or revisionism.
Wow, the really sad part about the form fitting unis is i just realized my Team USA one is one.
Got...to...get...off...the...crack...
This is going to sound weird coming from me... a Caps fan *and* a Lightning fan (if ever there was such an animal).
IMHO, Crosby's belly-sliding goal wasn't as spectacular as Ovie's "The Goal" from last season... but it was a better goal simply because he was being actively defended by the goalie. Sure, with Holmqvist (and Denis) the definition of "active" is up for debate... but the Coyotes goaltender was just standing there when Ovie squirreled in his shot. It was basically an open netter for him.
Let the lashings begin!
No lashing, but why was the goalie just standing there? Because he gave up on the play after getting out of position. It's not like they had pulled the goalie or the goalie fell asleep. He came out of the crease, got out of position because OV went wide, and then got beat.
Gary -
In my opinion, it's this simple: Crosby's goal was compared to Ovechkin's. Every great, seemingly unbelieveable goal now is compared to Ovechkin's. If Ilya Kovalchuk scores a goal next week where he drops his stick, it gets wedged in one of his skate blades and he swings his skate around to hit the puck with his stick and he roofs it top-shelf past Marty Brodeur, it will be compared to Ovechkin's - not Crosby's.
AO's goal is now - and will continue to be - the benchmark.
JP: I agree; Ovechkin set the bar.
Next subject: AFAIC, I don't mind that Crosby's getting more attention than Ovechkin... last year or this. The more you hear about Cindy's great goals in losing efforts (*ahem*), the darker a horse the Capitals become.
And the dark horse--more times than not--has the upper hand.
... er...
I left out the part: "And the less you hear about Ovie's on-ice antics..."
How about that Ronald Reagan "nipping" Walter Mondale in '84?
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