Friday Five: Fools Akimbo

The work got started early last night, though it proved that people will do anything to nail people's gullibility. Even put a template up resembling a solid newspaper look and getting people to bite. There's not fooling in the F5, because it's always crap.

1. Many people bit on the April Fools' gag of Mario Lemieux saying Matt Cooke is gone from the Penguins. Does that mean it's not so far-fetched??

The gag was really perfectly done, as the template was done very professionally. Yet, the fact many people believed it and didn't see it coming (the joke or announcement) shows that it may not be as far-fetched as some people would believe. Granted, Cooke has two more years on his contract at $1.8M cap-hit and a buyout could be rough, while trying to get rid of him maybe difficult as well. At the same time, if Cooke cleaned up his act-- he could actually be a valuable trading chip; but unlikely we'll come down to that.

2. Staying on that-- how much are people making of the Sidney Crosby traveling with the team??

It's definitely a good step for people who think the NHL or Penguins can't survive without him; though both are pretty well-off since his injury. But it is a big step and since he's the biggest name to ever get a concussion in the NHL-- people will knit-pick every detail. Sure, he's looked good when he was on the ice by himself and in no-contact situations. It's one thing to be okay in a beer-league situation, but when he gets there in a game situation we'll see if he can have the same vision in traffic situations. There's a lot of news that's given and maybe too much-- but still, it should be given considering the plight and steps NHL and their member teams are taking to learn more about concussions.

3. More remarkable, though-- Daymond Langkow coming back after many thought he may have to retire. This may not help the Flames this year, but what about next year??

If Langkow can actually do something these last few games with the Flames, odds are he could be dangled out there to other teams to clear his $4.5M cap hit for next year. But, the story of Langkow is an interesting one, especially considering he had spinal cord damage after taking a shot to the back of the neck last March. Even with a set-back this summer, him coming back is a great story and up there with other guys who have suffered possible career-ending injuries.

4. The Canucks have won the President's Trophy, which many think is a curse. Are they right in saying that??

The thing that's working on the side of the Canucks is the fact the last four President's Trophy winners were out of the Western Conference. Of course, no team who had over 120 points when winning the President's Trophy has ever won the Cup and the Canucks can top out at 121, so there's that. Plus, the fact the there's already pressure for the Canucks past underachieving Playoff performances-- there's going to be a large microscope for the Canucks.

5. Flat out-- who wins the Hart Trophy??

It has to be either Corey Perry or Tim Thomas; my nod going to Perry. The Sedins kind of cancel each other out and Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos cancel each other out since they're on the same team and you can't have two guys valuable to their team and win the Hart. Perry I think gets it because of the fact he's a big part in the resurgence of the Ducks from the start to the finish. While I don't slight Thomas, my thought is that the Vezina is the MVP for goalies and may not get the nod for Hart consideration.

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That's another F-5 done. Great. Any topics or suggestions should be directed to Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com and if not-- you'll get my questions and my answers. Huzzah!!

Hart at Halfway

While most teams are the official 41 game halfway point of the season, when it comes to the Hart Trophy race for most valuable player-- some may think it could be a wide open field as we come down the stretch. However, in my eyes; it's a two-horse race. Granted, I actually take the literal description of the award, being the most valuable to his team.

The first is a no-brainer in Sidney Crosby. You take him off the Penguins and they probably aren't in the hunt for the President's Trophy for most points in the season. I don't like him as a player, but I respect him.

The second one will make you go, "Oh look-- Scotty's going for a gimmick." I'm not. I truly believe that Dustin Byfuglien should get a look at the MVP. Of course, you won't get many voters actually taking the literal meaning of the award, but it should be brought back to that; much like the Norris Trophy should be going to the best all-around defenseman, not the one with the most points.

As much as people say Byfuglien should be getting a look at the Norris for converting back to defense this year, his addition to the Atlanta Thrashers has seemed to revitalize a team that many thought were going to be a pushover in the first post-Kovalchuk season in the ATL. Most publications had them out of the playoffs, even if not by much. Yet now, the Thrashers are in a playoff spot and don't seem like letting up and I think a lot of it has to do with the energy and experience Byfuglien brings to the squad.

Personally, Byfuglien has a career-high in points and assists halfway through the season and only needs four more goals to have a career-high in that stat as well. He's finally getting to have his star realized after an amazing playoff season. For the team, he has been involved in 31% of the team's goals and had his hand in 54% of the power play goals the Thrashers have had. I don't know if they would have this same success without him in the line-up.

There will be plenty who will bring up Steve Stamkos or Henrik Sedin, which is definitely correct in that-- but at the same time; Stamkos has St. Louis helping him out and having close enough stats to him and Sedin has brother Daniel. While they have good stats, if you take them off the team; is the team still as good?? It's a fine line when you go with the literal sense of the award against the best player overall.

This plea will probably fall upon deaf ears should Byfuglien falls off the pace he's going or if someone else steps up big-time in the second half, but as of right now-- Big Buff has to be considered, even if it's in passing.

Another Hart Jobbing

November 9th, 1997 is a date that many wrestling fans (and who wasn't) will remember as the Montreal Screwjob, where Bret Hart was run out of the WWE when Shawn Michaels put him in the Sharpshooter and Earl Hebner rang the bell early with Vince McMahon by ringside ordering him to. Hart lost the title, was screwed over, and "jobbed" when all was said and done.

Now, we can call April 29th, 2010 the Buffalo Screwjob, as Ryan Miller can kind of feel the same way.

The Hart Trophy nominees for the league most valuable player were announced today, with Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Henrik Sedin announced as the finalist. This is much to my own surprise, who didn't think Ovechkin should have been put in the category of this, even with his 50 goal and 100+ point season. Miller did more for the Sabres than Ovechkin did for the Caps-- especially since Nicklas Backstrom broke out for the Capitals with his own 100 point season. Miller had 41 wins (4th in the NHL), a 2.22 GAA (2nd), and .929 save percentage (2nd) with five shutouts (7th), 1,948 saves (3rd) on 2,098 shots against (4th). That's pretty damn valuable, if you ask me.

While you'll have many people complaining about how goalie shouldn't be able to get nominated for the Hart because they have their own Vezina Trophy for the best goalie, thus shouldn't be considered for the award. To that end, why don't you have more goalie awards that aren't based on stats, like the forwards have. The goalies awards are more stat based, like the William Jennings Trophy (fewest goals against) and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (highest save percentage). Why shouldn't goalies be considered for individual awards, especially since you really key in on goalies when you talk about what can make or break a team.

The exclusion of Miller (or to a lesser extent, Ilya Bryzgalov) is a shame for the voters of these awards. Goalies are as important as the forwards or defenseman and shouldn't be resigned to their only award that isn't stats based. The Hart Trophy itself is to be award to the player deemed to be most valuable to his team. If take away Miller or Bryzgalov from their respective teams, are the teams as good as they were with them on it. The answer is no, of course. Albeit-- you can say that the three finalist this year were pretty soild and two of the three make have made or broken their team for the season; you have to include the likes of Miller in that final group-- even if he doesn't win.

With all the stuff being thrown around, the fact remains that if you go by the criteria that the Hart Trophy is about; Ryan Miller got jobbed worse that Bret Hart. You take Miller off the Sabres this year, you're left with Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth. The Sabres probably wouldn't have made the playoffs, much less win the Northeast Division. Miller was the most valuable to his team and this award really should be his-- and it's a travesty he won't even get a sniff at it.