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2010 PSW Norris Trophy

April 23rd 2011 13:32
There were many defensemen that had great seasons this year, and it is extremely difficult for me to pick just one of them. Keith Yandle, Lubomir Visnovsky, Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Letang, Dustin Byfuglien, Shea Weber, and Christian Ehrhoff were outstanding in the 2010-2011 NHL season. My pick will be given to the guy that was a great defender and a great points-scorer as well.

Detroit Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the best players of All-Time, and he has still been incredible as he has gotten older. We all know him for his leadership and stingy defense, and the captain has won the Norris Trophy six times in his career. The 40 year old defenseman recently was named one of the nominees for the Lady Byng trophy, and this is a testament to Lidstrom's sportsmanship. Loui Eriksson and Marty St. Louis are also in the running for the award that Lidstrom has been nominated for six times in his career.


There will be a street 30 miles from Detroit named in Lidstrom's honor. He was second behind Visnovsky in points scored for defensemen with 62. However, Lidstrom was the better player in defense; obviously the main duty for a defenseman. Lidstrom showed his workhose mentality and importance to his team by playing in all 82 games. It's yet another reason why he is a leader for the Wings.

Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the best players in the league on the power play. He is one of the main reasons as to why the Red Wings are tied with the Lightning for the team with the fourth best power play percentage in the league. His efficient offense, great passing, superb special teams ability, smart defense, and key leadership make him my Norris Trophy winner of this year by the slightest edge over Lubomir Visnovsky.

Nicklas Lidstrom
2010 PSW Norris Trophy Winner
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2010 PSW NBA and NHL All-Stars

April 21st 2011 15:17
I have assembled both of my All-Star teams for the NHL and NBA with both league's regular seasons having ended. There are three All-Star teams (or lines for hockey) and there is a goalie for each NHL line. This has nothing to do with team value, but rather how well the player played overall.

NHL

Line One

G Carey Price
D Lubomir Visnovsky
D Nicklad Lidstrom
W Daniel Sedin
W Corey Perry
C Henrik Sedin

Line Two

G Tim Thomas
D Zdeno Chara
D Keith Yandle
W Martin St. Louis
W Jarome Iginla
C Steve Stamkos

Line Three

G Pekka Rinne
D Dustin Byfuglien
D Christian Ehrhoff
W Alex Ovechkin
W Claude Giroux
C Ryan Kesler

NBA

Team One

PG Chris Paul
SG Dwayne Wade
SF LeBron James
PF Kevin Love
C Dwight Howard

Team Two

PG Derrick Rose
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Kevin Durant
PF Dirk Nowitzki
C Tim Duncan

Team Three

PG Russell Westbrook
SG Manu Ginobili
SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Pau Gasol
C Andrew Bynum
Kobe Bryant
Still A Beast
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2010 PSW Jack Adams Trophy

April 19th 2011 14:56
Each year, the Jack Adams Trophy is given to the best NHL coach that season. I am going to give my own Jack Adams award for this website based on what happened during the 2010-2011 season. Barry Trotz, Dave Tippett, Dan Bylsma, and Guy Boucher were my four finalists. My final winner was a coach that showed why he is mentioned among the best in the league with another job well done in guiding his team through the playoffs in the midst of a myriad of set-backs that would leave most coaches overwhelmed.

Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma

Most of what went into this pick actually wasn't Pittsburgh bias. The best and third best player in the league went down with serious injuries and were done for the season. For those of you that are a little bit lost, I'm talking about Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Bylsma did what any great coach would do; he improvised.

The Penguins were a flashy offensive juggernaut with Crosby and Malkin, but Bylsma successfully transformed his team into a top defensive squad. They had the best penalty kill in the league, while also allowing the 6th least goals in the NHL. Although Crosby did play during the season enough to accumulate 32 goals and was absolutely amazing when he was playing, losing your best player- and probably the best player in the league- for half of the season is crushing. Star center Jordan Staal was another key player that missed a significant chunk of the season.

Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury made this team a tough defensive team. Letang was one of the best defensemen this year, and Fleury was one of the best goaltenders and the team's MVP. Fleury kept everything going and showed why he is a great player. Players like Alexei Kovalev and James Neal were great after they were acquired in trades by the Penguins thanks to Bylsma's ability to get them acclimated.

Dan Bylsma isn't great just because he coaches a great team. Only the good coaches can still maintain a high level of play even after key injuries- like Mike McCarthy. The Penguins are currently ahead of a tough Tampa Bay Lightning team- whose coach is Boucher- in the first round of the playoffs.
Dan Bylsma
2010 PSW Jack Adams Winner
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2010 NHL Playoffs Round One

April 12th 2011 11:55
Eastern Conference

1 Capitals vs. 8 Rangers

The Rangers are a really inconsistent team, and their top player- Ryan Callahan- is out. That doesn't mix well against a Capitals team that is *gulp* better than they were last year. They are now much better defensively than they were, and Mike Green's return will signify even bigger and better things to come for Washington's defense. Prediction: Capitals in 4. MVP: Mike Knuble.

2 Flyers vs. 7 Sabres

The Sabres have surged lately to get to the playoffs, and they will meet a tough match against the Flyers. The Flyers have been off defensively of late, but it is very difficult to stop Jeff Carter and Danny Briere. Kimmo Timonen will hassle Vanek and Stafford en route to a close playoff series victory for the talented Flyers. Prediction: Flyers in 6. MVP: Claude Giroux.

3 Boston Bruins and 6 Montreal Canadiens

Wow. What a draw! The tensions are still boiling after the Chara hit, but the Canadiens don't have the talent to back it up. Carey Price and Tim Thomas will make up a battle between two Vezina finalists, but the Canadiens lack the star power that Boston has. It will be a great series that is filled with emotion, but the Canadiens just don't have the offense. Scott Gomez has not stepped up at all, and rookie P.K. Subban will not be able to win it all by himself. Prediction: Bruins in 6. MVP: Tim Thomas.

4 Penguins and 5 Lightning

Dan Bylsma has to be the greatest coach in hockey. He has led his Pens without two of the best players in the leauge and has turned them into one of the best defensive units. They are also great at penalty killing. They will meet a really good Tampa team that features Steve Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. Heck, Lecavalier and Gagne are great players too. This is going to be a must-see series, and I think the Pens win it because of their defense. The Lightning just don't have the defense, but this serious can go either way. As a Pens fan, I hope my prediction is right. Prediction: Pens in 7. MVP: James Neal.

Western Conference

1 Canucks and 8 Blackhawks

Nobody should be fooled by this eighth seed. The Hawks won it all last year, and they are still a formidable foe. This is a battle of two heavyweights; the best teams of the past two years. I think the Sedin brothers prove the difference in what will be a series everyone will be talking about. Prediction: Canucks in 7. MVP: Daniel Sedin.

2 Sharks and 7 Kings

This is yet another great matchup in what should be one of the best NHL Playoffs in years. The Sharks are always unfairly called "chokers", and I think they come up with a statement here. LA is a really good team with Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, and Dustin Penner among others. However, Joe Pavelski is the most clutch player in hockey, and I think he goes crazy in the postseason. Prediction: Sharks in 6. MVP: Joe Pavelski.

3 Red Wings and 6 Coyotes

Detroit is always up there every year, but I want to talk a little bit about Phoenix. They have done a great job of focusing and playing great hockey even in the midst of the whole Goldwater circus and the future state of their franchise. They are going to give this juggernaut all they have, but the Wings' playoff experience will just push them by in the final game of the series. Prediction: Red Wings in 7. MVP: Nicklas Lidstrom.

4 Ducks and 5 Predators

The Ducks have been incredible down the stretch, and that's thanks to former Stanley Cup MVP Ryan Getzlaf and especially Hart candidate and top goal scorer Corey Perry. Lubomir Visnovsky has been excellent, and Ray Emery has been a heartwarming surprise. Vezina candidate Jonas Hiller went down with an injury, and former Senators' star keeper Emery was put in the starting spot. He has been great after being deemed washed-up due to many injuries. The Predators are a solid team, but these Ducks are loaded. Prediction: Ducks in 5. MVP: Lubomir Visnovsky.
Claude Giroux
Ready for the Sabres
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3/2011 Defenseman Rankings

March 2nd 2011 16:17
It is time to rank the best defensemen in hockey. To my hockey readers, I hope this list isn't too terrible as I am just starting to get into hockey. My hockey knowledge is pretty low, but I will try my best to put together a decent looking list.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom


[ Click here to read more ]
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