2008 NHL All Star Game

[chippa13 1844]

I think the whole point of the All Star game is a big scam. You cannot satisfy three needs at once.

1) Growing the game and using it as trade show product

2) Satisfy fans needs by letting them vote on who gets in.

3) Rewarding players for good seasons.

The fact that we debate here this guy got screwed or that guy got screwed shows you how unjust it is.

If the whole point of the all star is about talent then guys who have 10 points up to this point of the season but have enormous skill should be in so we can actually see the moves they would never make during full contact game.

All star should not be a reward for players who are having good seasons, their reward is trophies at the end of the year or better paying contracts which they earn with their points. Your average fan is not smart enough to know who has what kind of skill, since most of that skill sometimes is absent in a full contact game. Only those who have seen teams practice or smart enough to pick up little bits of pieces from real games can actually understand who has more skill then they show during games.

I think only NHL players and coaches should vote who gets in, they play each other and watch the pre-game practices sometimes even probably have spies who tape other team’s full practices so they can really say who has skills and who doesn’t.

I’m mean who wants to see Chara in the new slam dunk break away competition this year - no one, but a guy like Wellwood or Bertuzzi can show something creative.

Same thing goes for defensemen, I think only the ones who are highly offensive should go, so the whole point of the game is to see scoring chances and not good defensive plays.

They should also make two rosters the one that plays the game and the one that only competes in the skills competition. If your only skill is a 100 mph shot but nothing else why would I want to see you during an all star game where most likely you will not use that shot not to injure someone.

I bet if only players were allowed to vote Kovalev would smoke the competition with votes by at least 50% more then the next guy.

Cheers

1. Being able to debate who gets in or not is one of the great things in sport.

2. The point of the ASG isn't talent, it is about making the stars of your game visible.

3. The ASG should be a reward. If you are an up and comer having a great year then you should be on the team. It lets fans around the league find out who you are.

4. The fans only vote for the starters on each team. After that I believe it is the GMs who select the rest of the squads. We can debate on whether some of those gentlemen are good evaluators of hockey players.

5. I think it is safe to say that Chara won't be in the "slam dunk breakaway competition", however, as Marek Malik showed, you don't know who can pull off a sweet move until they get the opportunity.

6. There was a year that teams sent guys who won portions of their team's skills competition to the ASG weekend skills competition. It was a bore. Who really wanted to see Jon Rohloff try to wire a 100+ slapshot?

7. If only players were allowed to vote then Kovalev probably wouldn't make too many ASG appearances.

[camhockey16 5]

so who do you think will end up replacing crosby now?

i just assume they will pick malkin since they already passed over him once - but i dunno

[djinferno 2]

Ribs and Malkin added to the linup, i'm happy about that...

[camhockey16 5]

they added:

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

still no sundin?? i wonder if he will be bitter?

[djinferno 2]

they added:

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

still no sundin?? i wonder if he will be bitter?

Sundin does not want to go

Scott Niedermayer does not deserve it...

[sjsharks11 0]

Same thing goes for defensemen, I think only the ones who are highly offensive should go, so the whole point of the game is to see scoring chances and not good defensive plays.

Then how does a great young defensive defensemen get noticed? If a player's agent can say that his player is an all-star, then it will make that many more teams want him, and probably end up getting him more money, through arbitration etc.

[mack 44]

they added:

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

still no sundin?? i wonder if he will be bitter?

Sundin does not want to go

Scott Niedermayer does not deserve it...

Name better Western defencemen? It's going to be hard, there's a lot of suck out that way.

[Chadd 916]

they added:

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars

Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

still no sundin?? i wonder if he will be bitter?

Sundin does not want to go

Scott Niedermayer does not deserve it...

Name better Western defencemen? It's going to be hard, there's a lot of suck out that way.

Rafalski is having a great year, Jovo wouldn't be a bad choice and even a farewell selection for Blake would make more sense than rewarding Niedermeyer for a months worth of work.

[mack 44]

But his month has been better than Blake's season and Rafalski's a product of the talent around him.

[Chadd 916]

But his month has been better than Blake's season and Rafalski's a product of the talent around him.

Anaheim doesn't have a wealth of talent?

[RadioGaGa 162]

Scott Niedermayer does not deserve it...

Name better Western defencemen? It's going to be hard, there's a lot of suck out that way.

He's good...but the ASG after only 17 games played?

Zidliky in Nashville?

Brent Burns (Minny)

Not that they are better players than Scott...but they've had years that better deserve a nod. Hell, he left his team hanging til Xmas on if he was even gonna play...now he gets rewarded with the ASG?

[mack 44]

But his month has been better than Blake's season and Rafalski's a product of the talent around him.

Anaheim doesn't have a wealth of talent?

They do, but he's proven himself thru many seasons with a lean amount of scoring forwards in NJ.

Radio-

Zidlicky is brutal but I would be okay with Burns going.

[RadioGaGa 162]

But his month has been better than Blake's season and Rafalski's a product of the talent around him.

Anaheim doesn't have a wealth of talent?

They do, but he's proven himself thru many seasons with a lean amount of scoring forwards in NJ.

Radio-

Zidlicky is brutal but I would be okay with Burns going.

I haven't seen much of him...was just looking for younger guys with decent numbers in the stats.

[mack 44]

That's a lot of half-truth.

[Rustpot 1]

Zetterberg's out with a back strain, not going to the AS game.

They're dropping like flies, this can come back to bite the NHL in the ass if the entire voted roster doesn't end up playing.

[chippa13 1844]

Same thing goes for defensemen, I think only the ones who are highly offensive should go, so the whole point of the game is to see scoring chances and not good defensive plays.

Then how does a great young defensive defensemen get noticed? If a player's agent can say that his player is an all-star, then it will make that many more teams want him, and probably end up getting him more money, through arbitration etc.

He doesn't, if they want to grow the game with offence being the major selling drive, then there should not be any rewards for defensive plays. It's a lot easier to be a stay home defenseman then being a guy who has to decide if he should jump up the ice or stay back.

You can use the same analogy in life, those who take bigger risks get bigger rewards and those who always play it safe stay in the middle.

Cheers

Scoring wins games, defense wins championships.

[GekigangarIII 0]

You got that right, that's why New Jersey Devils is the most exiting team in the past 10 years and they have sell outs in their own building plus every where they go the teams sell out as well.

Cheers

See: http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/app?formids=Pr...mit_0=Get+Stats

See that number one spot there? The number one defensive team is also the number one offensive team. Welcome to hockey, it's a hell of a sport!

[RadioGaGa 162]

Celebrity judges for the SO's Comp will be:

Scott Mellanby

Dominique Wilkins (Former Atlanta Hawk...the NBA's Human Highlight Reel in the Dunk Contest)

Taylor Kitch (Actor - http://imdb.com/name/nm2018237/, never heard of him)

Bill Clement

[chef_ducky 0]

does Ilya suspension carry to all star game

[RadioGaGa 162]

does Ilya suspension carry to all star game

1 game...tonight v. NYR.

[chef_ducky 0]

does Ilya suspension carry to all star game

1 game...tonight v. NYR.

that is gay...he should have got more

oh well Rangers will smoke again 2nite

[GekigangarIII 0]

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this but I think Detroit is very boring team. I’ve watched few of their games this year, and they absolutely bore you to death when they trap. What saves them is their passing game and D+Z who show some skill. But most of their exiting play is on PP. Now last year a team like Buffalo was exiting, Tampa and Carolina are exiting teams to watch. I know many think that the reason Detroit has poor attendance this year is because of economy and Tigers, but I think part of it is their home games are boring. I know it will never happen but the only way to stop the trapping teams is to completely revise the point system. Where teams who score more goals and get more scoring chances get more points. So the key point of winning a game would be thru offence not thru defense.

Or maybe one small rule change can eliminate the trap which is the offside. Get rid of the blue line so there is no offside rule at all then they might not line up at the blue or even red line. These are very radical changes which of course will never happen.

Cheers

Fascinating. Really.

[mack 44]

He has a point though as Detroit is really boring to watch. Is it effective? Absolutely, but it's just funny how they're not knocked like the Devils have/are.

[sc37 0]

Pascal Leclaire with shutout #8 tonight....yeah Manny Legace and the NHL selection committee, yay! Not.

[GekigangarIII 0]

He has a point though as Detroit is really boring to watch. Is it effective? Absolutely, but it's just funny how they're not knocked like the Devils have/are.

Detroit is only boring to watch when the team they're playing can't dismantle thier puck possession. You can't blame detroit for the other team not being able to keep up. Otherwise it's pretty much balls out for 3 periods. Detroit might not allow many shots, but they sure as hell make up for it on their end. Maybe it's boring when you're rooting against them.

The devils on the other hand, just try to score one goal and drop 4 back.

Comparing the two styles of play is a little more than silly.