Awards Roundtable/Landslide Poll: Your Islanders Norris Trophy Pick?
by Dominik on Apr 25, 2011 2:48 PM EDT
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The NHL announced the three Norris Trophy finalists (Note: This means the top-three vote-getters. The votes are already in. The winner is accessible if you can break into the NHL vault. There will be no three-way round-robin feat of strength to determine the winner.)
Thankfully there was no falling in love with Dustin Byfuglien's cushy-minute offensive numbers (first half, anyway), and righteous candidates Nicklas Lidstrom, Shea Weber, and Zdeno Chara are your top three (not in that order...well, maybe in that order -- we just don't know yet).
As we do with each of these awards, I apply it to the Islanders and ask my fellow Lighthouse Hockey authors -- and you, dear reader -- who your pick(s) would be from among the Isles. As it turns out, with Mark Streit injured all year long and enough injuries to cause 12 different men to cycle through the lineup (15 if you count the ATO #55s), there really is little doubt who should get the nod.
Our Panelists' Votes:
What'll it be, mikb?
Norris - very close race, but I'm going with Andrew McDonald, who led the team's defensemen in ATOI (23:25), was +9 for a poor overall defensive team, and was second in relative Corsi to Travis Hamonic among regular defenders. Hamonic was exceedingly close here; I took AMac in the end based on having a slightly better relative +/- and only 37 PIM to Hamonic's 103 - you can't help the team in the box.
What's the spin, mighty Quinn?
Has to be Andrew MacDonald. After Garth Snow traded away James Wisniewski, who was supposed to be competing for #1/#2 defenseman, I assumed our defense would be quite possible the worst in the history of defenses.
Amac, a nice surprise last year while playing babysat minutes with Streit, steps in and turns the fortunes around. He showed that he can man the PP (when not wearing the requisite Islander-Face headgear) and continued to play responsible defense while generating offense via smart outlet passes and rushes. He then proceeds to mentor a 20 year old rookie in Travis Hamonic that was not supposed to see NHL ice time this year. Their play together did not drop off, and any interview you see from Hamonic will tell you that he credits Amac for all of his NHL success this year.
His reward of wearing the "A" for a stretch of the season speaks volumes about his play and character. He played hurt, he played well, and he demonstrated leadership and toughness. Nothing more you can ask for.
Is this really so hard, WebBard?
If you go back to the beginning of the season on LHH, some people thought Andrew MacDonald was going to be sent to either Bridgeport or spend a lot of time in the media box. Now not only is he considered the top defenseman on the Isle (depending on Streit's recovery) but people are talking about him as a possible candidate for Captain AND he did an excellent job breaking in Travis Hamonic to the NHL game.
Even more incredible is that he continued at a high level of play while injured from February on. If you didn't appreciate when MacDonald did this season, I don't think anything will impress you.
... What, no love for The Jurcina Anomaly? (The Islanders were an odd 24-16-6 with Milan Jurcina in the lineup, 6-23-7 without him.)
In all seriousness, who even came close to MacDonald in terms of an impressive performance on the blueline this year? Probably Travis Hamonic for doing what he did at age 20. Radek Martinek gets a blue ribbon for his singular health that actually saw him tie Jack Hillen for the most games played (64 each) by Islanders defensemen this year.
But nobody compares to A-Mac. The team's October-November tailspin really took flight nosedive when he was injured with a broken hand. When he returned, things started to level off. And as the guys mentioned above, he was then partnered with a 20-year-old rookie who grew up before our eyes and credits the late-blooming A-Mac for much of his transition.
Since we're here to talk and debate, we're of course open to differing arguments. But it's hard not to give A-Mac the unanimous nod for Islanders Norris, 2010-11.
So maybe the debate is: Who will be the Islanders' best defenseman next year?
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AMac
Mostly because of the relief I feel when I see him on the ice, knowing we got a solid D-Man out there. Neilsen would be my 2nd choice, followed by Hamonic, Martinek, Jurcina, Hillen, Eaton, etc etc etc.
Amac
What will be interesting will be who gets it next year…..
Amac with a full NHL year under his belt.
Our returning champion, Mark Streit who was the only good thing to come of years one and two of the rebuild.
Travis Hamonic… maybe maturing into a 24 minute 5-on-5/PK shutdown guy who can move the puck.
Ty Wishart who showed that he could skate in the league, but needed to use his size more.
…or possibly whatever $5M for 5years, some draft picks and prospects can find on the open market.
But Amac was awesome this year… he should get it just for yelling at Dipietro to stay away from the damn puck!
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
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I love the Anomaly
But it’s hard to vote an award to something that sounds like we stole it from Star Trek: the Next Generation. You can hear Data giving Jurcina’s advanced stats before Picard wearily interrupts him, and then orders the ship into the faceoff circle at Warp 3.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Beam me out of here
mikb, its the end of the day and that was just too involved for me!
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Apr 25, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
haley
i pick haley. he did more on ferocious friday to turn this team around than anybody else. their whole persona and body language changed during and for the rest of the season
uhm...
Except play defense – which is a requirement for the Norris. =D But I know what you meant.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
well i DO like the way he backchecks
when i read it this morning i swore it said hart trophy. may have been short term dimentia brought on by an easter induced haze from eating and drinking like a swine
by ripcurl2121 on Apr 26, 2011 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Call me old fashioned...
But I say there’s no better defense on earth than beating up opposing teams forwards, dadgummit!
Ya ever seen Frans Nielsen’s eyes, Chief? Those…cold…black…lifeless eyes, like a dolls eyes…
by BrassBonanza10 on Apr 26, 2011 5:31 AM EDT up reply actions
While I was more impressed with Hamonic's play throughout the entire season, I chose A-Mac.
I had much lower expectations for Hamonic coming in as an injury call up at the age of 20. A-Mac’s play throughout the year was very consistent. He played poised, always seemed to be in good position, and ended up with a +9 on the season. If we do this poll for the next 5 years or so, I feel like Hamonic will be the winner every time.
MacDonald
Perhaps the best thing Ted Nolan did for this franchise
by Dr. Copp on Apr 25, 2011 8:42 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
AMAC ATTACK!!!
A-Mac was by far the most solid defenseman we had on the team this year. If im not mistaken he led the team in blocked shots. Hamonic comes a close second in my mind, after seeing what he did in his rookie season i cant wait to see what he can do next season
A-MAC, but hard for me not to pick Ham.
My fave thing about Hamonic is he acts like a 30 year old professionally. He stood up for his teammates. Remember when he had AMAC’s back against Florida? I believe he will wear the C for Isles down the road..
Oh boy, when I talk about Travis, I get the same feeling Dom does when he talks about Fransy. :o)
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Apr 25, 2011 11:36 PM EDT reply actions
30-year-old professional
No doubt. And remember the time the linesman shoved him away from an altercation he had every right to stick around? Hamonic, at 20 in a very heated on-ice moment, just looked back at the linesman with disappointment rather than throwing a fit. Like, “I’m 20 and I’ve got this figured out better than you. That’s sad.”
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
An excellent example
Of what a smart young man Travis really is.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Apr 26, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice posts Dom and TMC
Now lets hope we keep him around.
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Apr 26, 2011 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
A-Mac
but if Hamonic had played 82 games instead of 62, I’d probably give it to Travis. As we know far too well, durability is important.
Which is to say
Travis’ ability to not miss a game is important. If he had broke camp with the team and played 82, I vote for him.
Any word on Amacs surgery,
whether it was successful or not. Was it even done yet. Isnt he really a question mark for the beginning of next season. Tough to recovery from an injury for 6 months and then just get back on the ice.
Mac-attack!
Proud Islanders fan, the organization that iced the greatest team to ever play the game, whom won 4 consecutive cups. I'm bleeding Blue and Orange.
Let's go Islanders! Beep...Beep...Beep.Beep.Beep.
Datsyuk IS the best player in the nhl
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
