Post by Calgary Flames on Mar 18, 2022 10:22:44 GMT -6
GM Todd Snider has made the selections for the Eastern All Stars. Snider was reportedly quite banged up after getting heavy into the wowie-sauce so let's see how he made out. Foreshadowing: there is some serious controversy here.
Line 1: Gallagher (NYR) Point (NYR) Marchand (CLB)
Line 2: Kucherov (CLB) Stamkos (BUF) Draisaitl
Line 3: Coleman (FLA) Eichel (PHI) Burakovsky (CAR)
Line 4: Boeser (WAS) Pettersson (TOR) Gourde (PIT)
Extra: Ovechkin (BUF)
Pairing 1: Schmidt (NYI) Ekblad (NYR)
Pairing 2: Mcavoy (BOS) Toews (MTL)
Pairing 3: Ekman-Larsson (OTT) Pietrangelo (TBL)
Starting Goalie: Vasilevsky (TB)
Backup 1: Swayman (NJD)
Backup 2: Rask (BOS)
Of note: Ovechkin was added as a special player as he loves having fun. ironically in real life he annually skips the event and gets suspended for a game. Coleman replaces the injured Kaprizov.
So let's have a look at the squad! The first line is not going to be fun to play against with two absolute rats getting the starting nod. Point is 4th in league scoring trailing only....all 3 guys in Chicago. Marchand is 7th in league scoring while Gallagher is all the way down in 17th which raised some eyebrows but again, this line is no fun to play against. Similar to in the West, there is no talent drop off with the second line of Kucherov Stamkos and Draisaitl. And again similar to the West there is some solid two way players in the bottom 6 with Coleman, Burakovsky, Boeser and Gourde with Eichel and Pettersson providing high end talent.
The back end is very good lead by Schmidt with 50 points and Ekblad with 46. The duo can also be punishing to play against. Toews has had an amazing year also with 46 points and mcavoy not far off with 23. Perhaps the 3rd pair is where the West might have the advantage on paper but OEL and Pietrangelo are a veteran pairing that will surely show up.
Goaltending is probably where the East is a notch above the West lead by all world tendy Vasilevsky. Swyman and Rask finish off the top 3 goalies in SV%.
So who missed out? Like the West there were surely some very tough decisions to be made by GM Todd Snider.
JT Miller (NYI): Jimmy-Timmy is over a point per game and plays a solid two way physical game.
Ryan O'Reilly (TBL): same as JT.
Zach Hyman (OTT): Same as the two above
Hischer (WAS), Debrincat (WAS), Ehlers (TOR): All young guys having point per game seasons.
Mark FRICKIN Scheifele (MTL): The power center is 12th in league scoring with 59 points and plays a rugged two way game. HIS OWN GM DID NOT PICK HIM leading to speculation that there is a rift in the dressing room there.
So if we want to get Scheifele in how hard is it? The Rangers have 3 players in Gallagher, Point, and Ekblad. Columbus has 2 in Kucherov and Marchand. TB has 2 in Vasilevsky and Pietrangelo. Boston has two in Mcavoy and Rask. The easiest answer is punt Gallagher from the Rangers and put Scheifele down the middle switching Stamkos to the wing. Gallagher is certainly deserving but Scheifele has more points and hits and plays a more premium position. Considering there are already 2 other Rangers on the roster this seems like a no brainer. Another possibility is swapping Bishop (CBJ) for Rask as Boston already has a representative but so does Columbus so no win there.
Again, these decisions are never easy but I think Todd Snider has some explaining to do in his own locker room after making this booze fueled error.
Line 1: Gallagher (NYR) Point (NYR) Marchand (CLB)
Line 2: Kucherov (CLB) Stamkos (BUF) Draisaitl
Line 3: Coleman (FLA) Eichel (PHI) Burakovsky (CAR)
Line 4: Boeser (WAS) Pettersson (TOR) Gourde (PIT)
Extra: Ovechkin (BUF)
Pairing 1: Schmidt (NYI) Ekblad (NYR)
Pairing 2: Mcavoy (BOS) Toews (MTL)
Pairing 3: Ekman-Larsson (OTT) Pietrangelo (TBL)
Starting Goalie: Vasilevsky (TB)
Backup 1: Swayman (NJD)
Backup 2: Rask (BOS)
Of note: Ovechkin was added as a special player as he loves having fun. ironically in real life he annually skips the event and gets suspended for a game. Coleman replaces the injured Kaprizov.
So let's have a look at the squad! The first line is not going to be fun to play against with two absolute rats getting the starting nod. Point is 4th in league scoring trailing only....all 3 guys in Chicago. Marchand is 7th in league scoring while Gallagher is all the way down in 17th which raised some eyebrows but again, this line is no fun to play against. Similar to in the West, there is no talent drop off with the second line of Kucherov Stamkos and Draisaitl. And again similar to the West there is some solid two way players in the bottom 6 with Coleman, Burakovsky, Boeser and Gourde with Eichel and Pettersson providing high end talent.
The back end is very good lead by Schmidt with 50 points and Ekblad with 46. The duo can also be punishing to play against. Toews has had an amazing year also with 46 points and mcavoy not far off with 23. Perhaps the 3rd pair is where the West might have the advantage on paper but OEL and Pietrangelo are a veteran pairing that will surely show up.
Goaltending is probably where the East is a notch above the West lead by all world tendy Vasilevsky. Swyman and Rask finish off the top 3 goalies in SV%.
So who missed out? Like the West there were surely some very tough decisions to be made by GM Todd Snider.
JT Miller (NYI): Jimmy-Timmy is over a point per game and plays a solid two way physical game.
Ryan O'Reilly (TBL): same as JT.
Zach Hyman (OTT): Same as the two above
Hischer (WAS), Debrincat (WAS), Ehlers (TOR): All young guys having point per game seasons.
Mark FRICKIN Scheifele (MTL): The power center is 12th in league scoring with 59 points and plays a rugged two way game. HIS OWN GM DID NOT PICK HIM leading to speculation that there is a rift in the dressing room there.
So if we want to get Scheifele in how hard is it? The Rangers have 3 players in Gallagher, Point, and Ekblad. Columbus has 2 in Kucherov and Marchand. TB has 2 in Vasilevsky and Pietrangelo. Boston has two in Mcavoy and Rask. The easiest answer is punt Gallagher from the Rangers and put Scheifele down the middle switching Stamkos to the wing. Gallagher is certainly deserving but Scheifele has more points and hits and plays a more premium position. Considering there are already 2 other Rangers on the roster this seems like a no brainer. Another possibility is swapping Bishop (CBJ) for Rask as Boston already has a representative but so does Columbus so no win there.
Again, these decisions are never easy but I think Todd Snider has some explaining to do in his own locker room after making this booze fueled error.