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Playoff All-Star Teams

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I watched just about every LA game, and I'm not even going to start on the Kopitar piece, because that should be obvious to anyone, but let me echo the above two comments and say that Gaborik and Carter were just consistently better. They generated more chances, drove the play more often and were more dangerous. The way it shook out, Williams ended up with the same number of points as Carter and three more than Gaborik (but five fewer goals) but those numbers don't reflect the level of play of those three players.
 
Initial thoughts on candidates for this year...

Forwards: Kessel, Crosby, Couture, Kucherov, Pavelski, Thornton, Malkin

D: Burns, Letang, Hedman, Pietrangelo

G: Jones, Murray


Need to decide on 3 forwards, 2 D, and a G

I think Kessel should prob make it, and it feels like there's a lot of close candidates for the last 2 spots

Leaning towards Burns and Letang on D

In goal my first instinct is Jones


Thoughts?
 
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Letang and Burns are locks for first team...

Kessel is a lock for first team...

I'll think about this more tomorrow and make a 1st and 2nd team list, as I kept a running Conn Smythe Trophy tracker at various points in the playoffs, I can share that as well if anyone is interested...

As for now, more celebrating!
 
Mike Farkas said:
Letang and Burns are locks for first team...

Kessel is a lock for first team...

I'll think about this more tomorrow and make a 1st and 2nd team list, as I kept a running Conn Smythe Trophy tracker at various points in the playoffs, I can share that as well if anyone is interested...

As for now, more celebrating!
Click to expand...

I felt the same, but threw Crosby in because he won the Smythe, but I probably shouldn't have. I think you could make strong arguments for him not to make it. I will edit my post
 
This year's is a tough one up front. Kessel seems like the only clear choice for 1st team on Pittsburgh. Those San Jose guys were all so bad in the final that it's hard to argue in favour of any of them. Good grief, Troy Brouwer of all people could be considered. Although I think most would argue that making the finals and crapping your pants (Pavelski, Couture) is still better than not making it at all (Kucherov, Brouwer, Tarasenko).
 
Kyle McMahon said:
This year's is a tough one up front. Kessel seems like the only clear choice for 1st team on Pittsburgh. Those San Jose guys were all so bad in the final that it's hard to argue in favour of any of them. Good grief, Troy Brouwer of all people could be considered. Although I think most would argue that making the finals and crapping your pants (Pavelski, Couture) is still better than not making it at all (Kucherov, Brouwer, Tarasenko).
Click to expand...

Pavelski was much, much worse than Couture.
 
The real best players were Tavares and Benn in my opinion.I understand it's irrelevent, but just putting it out there for readers in the far away future.
 
Now that we're in the Finals it got me thinking about this thread, but it looks like we still never decided on last year's team. Here's what we have so far:

F: Kessel, Crosby, ?

D: Letang, Burns

G: ?


Should the 3rd forward be Pavelski, Couture, or Kucherov?

Should the goalie be Jones or Murray?


***Please hold off on any discussion of this year's team until the Final is over***
 
My running Conn Smythe Trophy Tracker from 2016 (based on watching every second of the playoffs, and nothing else really...for the record):

For games played up to and including April 20:
1. Braden Holtby
2. Nikita Kucherov
3. Vladimir Tarasenko
4. Joe Pavelski
5. John Tavares

For games played up to and including April 24:
1. Braden Holtby
2. John Tavares
3. Nikita Kucherov
4. Joe Pavelski
5. Jamie Benn

For games played up to and including May 1:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. John Tavares
3. Jamie Benn
4. Braden Holtby
5. Kristopher Letang / Alex Pietrangelo

For games played up to and including May 7:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Braden Holtby
3. Jamie Benn
4. Nikita Kucherov
5. Colin Wilson

HM (no order): Alex Pietrangelo, Brent Burns, Kristopher Letang, John Tavares, John Carlson - just couldn't find a place for them, but all very deserving.

For games played up to and including May 12:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Alex Pietrangelo
3. Nikita Kucherov
4. Kristopher Letang
5. Victor Hedman/Brent Burns

For games played up to and including May 22:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Alex Pietrangelo
3. Kristopher Letang
4. Victor Hedman
5. Nikita Kucherov / Phil Kessel

For games played up to and including May 29:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Kristopher Letang
3. Phil Kessel
4. Brent Burns
5. Joe Thornton

For games played up to and including May 30:
1. Joe Pavelski
2. Kristopher Letang
3. Phil Kessel
4. Brent Burns
5. Joe Thornton

Tracking up: Matt Murray, Sidney Crosby, Nick Bonino, Martin Jones
Tracking down: Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Edouard Vlasic

For games played up to and including June 6:
1. Phil Kessel
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Kristopher Letang
4. Joe Pavelski
5. Brent Burns

For games played up to and including June 12:
1. Phil Kessel
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Kristopher Letang
4. Brent Burns
5. Logan Couture

---

So to answer your team question:

F: Kessel (Pit)
F: Crosby (Pit)
F: Couture (SJ)
D: Letang (Pit)
D: Burns (SJ)
G: Jones (SJ)
 
So I'm the only one who would have given the award to Letang?
(Even if, frankly, a D-Men with "only" 15 points probably cannot win the Smythe)
 
My thing is that Jones was steady and very good throughout and was really good in the Final. Murray was good against NYR, stellar against Washington and then really was just average (and frankly, a little worn down) against Tampa and San Jose. He even briefly lost his net against Tampa in the ECF. He was really just "there" through the last two rounds, didn't really provide "plus" goaltending and wasn't a detriment...

Jones was better wire-to-wire and was better late for me...so he gets the nod from me, pretty decisively too...even though Murray is the better story...
 
Mike Farkas said:
My thing is that Jones was steady and very good throughout and was really good in the Final. Murray was good against NYR, stellar against Washington and then really was just average (and frankly, a little worn down) against Tampa and San Jose. He even briefly lost his net against Tampa in the ECF. He was really just "there" through the last two rounds, didn't really provide "plus" goaltending and wasn't a detriment...

Jones was better wire-to-wire and was better late for me...so he gets the nod from me, pretty decisively too...even though Murray is the better story...
Click to expand...


I don't have any notes, but this is how I remember it as well.
 
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