When 20 year-old Steve Mason was named as the WJC MVP and the tournament’s top goalie in early 2008, the bar was set high for the youngster.  Leading Canada to a Gold Medal that tournament, the 6’3” goaltender has risen above and beyond those standards.  Posting a league-best .934 save percentage and being tied for first in the league with five shutouts through 23 games, he is pretty much a shoe-in for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, right?  Wrong.

Mason was snubbed for Anaheim Duck J.S. Giguere (voted as the starter by the fans), Minnesota’s Niklas Backstrom and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo.  Giguere gets the fan-favorite vote, and Backstrom has been stellar between the pipes for his club, posting a 2.14 GAA, which places him fourth in the league.  But Roberto Luongo has seen limited play this season after suffering a groin injury which has had him sidelined since November 22nd.  Even though Luongo is very talented, it is almost an insult to choose him over rookie Steve Mason.

Continue reading "Where is the Love for Mason?"

2008-09 has not been a friendly season for the Edmonton Oilers. After 42 games played, the Oilers rank tenth in the Western Conference with 45 points (21-18-3), which is one point out of eighth place. Not too shabby, but looking at this team’s roster and payroll, one would think this roster would be able to produce a lot better point totals. Scoring just 2.76 goals per game (placing them 19th in the league), the scorers do not seem to be present every game. Edmonton’s shots per game totals are pretty miniscule as well, ranking 26th in the NHL with 27.9. The biggest surprise might be where the goals and shots are coming from.

The team-lead for goals-scored is held by sophomore forward Andrew Cogliano and defenseman Sheldon Souray, both notching 12 apiece. Cogliano is not much of a surprise, considering he is a top-prospect for the Alberta franchise. Souray is definitely known for his heavy shot and smart passing ability, but there should be many players that outrank him for the team lead. Souray also leads the team with 132 shots on goal, which is 30 more than second-placed Ales Hemsky. This team needs a more balanced offensive attack, and many players have not been contributing where they could be.

Continue reading "Cole Could be Raising Interest"

In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli waits patiently as St. Louis makes their first selection.  Erik Johnson comes and goes, as Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington make their picks.  The once-projected number one selection still remains and Boston sees no choice but to select him. 

Phil Kessel, the bad boy with a fantastic offensive upside, did not exactly pan out in his last year at Minnesota University.  Starting 2005-06, Kessel was ranked higher than any other player in the world to be picked number one in the NHL Entry Draft.  But his bad attitude and struggles with his teammates dropped him in the rankings, and fell behind the likes of defenseman Erik Johnson and forward Jonathan Toews.  But Chiarelli stuck by his decision, calling Kessel a player with “world-class speed and gifted offensive talents."

Continue reading "Kessel Worth the Wait"