So that’s it. With the awards show last night the book is officially closed on the 2008-09 season; the only hockey-related events remaining this summer are all looking ahead to ‘09-’10 and beyond. Considering the way the season ended…that’s not such a bad thing.

A few assorted thoughts in the aftermath of last night’s Las Vegas extravaganza(ish):

- Ovechkin walked away with the trio of awards we expected and one of the few prolonged laughs of the evening with his good-natured jab at Datsyuk’s English skills. And it was great that he got up there three times – because if anyone is built for this type of event, it’s Ovie. He was sweet and sentimental when accepting the Pearson, funny when receiving the Richard, and appreciative (of everyone, from fans to trainers to his teammates) when getting the Hart.

Still, through all three you could tell, more now than ever, that the shiny objects in front of him and the individual accolades don’t hold a candle to the Cup that slipped away this year.

- It wasn’t as close as the Datsyuk/Richards Selke race (three points??) but the margin for the Norris Trophy was actually pretty tight. While every other race was more like a rout, only 52 points separated Chara and Green – which is basically 5 first place votes and 2 fifth place. Chara garnered 18 more first place votes than Green; Green picked up 36 more first place votes than future HOFer Lidstrom. In other words? Another year or two of experience, a bit of improvement in his own end and Greenie’s walking away with the Norris sooner rather than later.

- Steve Mason’s girlfriend was wearing far too much eye makeup. And Steve Sullivan’s wife was wearing far too little clothing. And Evgeni Malkin’s “friend”? Well, we’ll just leave that alone. If you can’t say something nice… /girly moment

- There’s been a lot of chatter today about the lack of a host and how horrible that decision was; funny how before the show so many people saw that as a bold and exciting choice only to flip-flop wildly after having to see Roenick more than once. Amazing what reminders of a Ron MacLean-filled 90 minutes will do to your outlook, isn’t it?

- That’s not to say it’s a bad criticism, of course. For what it’s worth, I think a single host would have been nice as well – my vote goes to Michael Buble.

- I know that Las Vegas is a city that tends toward the sparkly, flashy, glittery things in life – but did Jeremy Roenick really need to blend that into his attire? No hockey player should…wait, strike that, no straight man should…no, hold on. NO one should wear glitter ever. Period. Sorry, JR.

- Congratulations to Ovechkin and Green, who both made it onto the First Team All-Stars for the year. That marks Ovechkin’s fourth appearance, Green’s first (of what should be many), and the first time the Caps have ever had two make the cut in franchise history. Kind of makes that All Star Game snub of Mike Green seem even more bizarre, doesn’t it?

- Had Crosby or Chara taken home the Mark Messier Leadership “Award” I would have been using this space to mock it incessantly as a pointless, made-up, self-promoting award created by a guy who hates not having the spotlight on himself. Since Iginla won it, though, I offer my full-throated congratulations at winning such a prestigious title (and looking damn good doing it).

- There were a lot of things the NHL did wrong last night; the selection of presenters for the Pearson and Hart, however, were spot-on. Choosing Konstantinov and Larionov for one and Ovechkin’s teammate (and the first Russian to win the Hart) Fedorov for the other gave a nod to the fact that all three finalists were future Russian legends. The league needs to find a way to do more of this – embracing and celebrating the history, appreciating the future and finding a balance between the two.

Two posts in one day? Jump back. CapsChick must be pissed about something…

If you’re flitting around the internet today, you’ll find a hearty group of awards predictions scattered throughout the blogospher and mainstream media world alike. Most of them pick Ovechkin to win the Hart, and rightly so – but this kind of statement? This drives me nuts:

Who will win: Ovechkin. He by far means the most to his team. Without him, the Capitals are not a playoff team. If you take Datsyuk and Malkin away from their teams, Detroit is still a Stanley Cup contender and the Penguins are still a Stanley Cup contender.

[CC: Emphasis added to point out the snark...]

See, it’s what is known as a backhanded compliment. We Caps fans are familiar with the ways of the ‘bhc’s, having heard them for years – this one, however, is more than a little bit of crap.

One of the great things about this team this year is that they ARE more than just Ovechkin. When you have a team full of guys like Green and Semin and Backstrom and prospects like Varlamov, Alzner and Neuvirth, it gets easier for us to say and for analysts and “experts” to agree that, yes, this team is talented beyond #8. It’s been a surprisingly common refrain throughout the hockey world and it’s the reason so many thought of the Caps as a contender in the first place.

One guy just can’t do it alone. That is, unless I’m miscounting all those Cups the Pens won with Sid before actually building a semi-talented roster around him…um, nope, don’t think I am.

Now are the Caps a Cup contender without Ovechkin? Probably not. But a playoff team, absolutely; and don’t for a minute let anyone tell you that the Penguins without Malkin, aka Mr. Conn Smythe, would have hoisted the Cup this year let alone made the Finals. And I’ll even give them the fact that without Malkin the Pens are a marginally more talented team than an Ovechkin-less Caps team because of their Captain. Cup contenders, though, I don’t think so.

Look, Ovechkin gets tons of credit for what he does, and it’s all deserved. You won’t get an argument here. And there’s no question that of the three candidates, he’s the most valuable to his team. But let’s not go throwing this Caps team – a team that took the Champs to 7 games, thank you – away as a talentless group behind an ubertalented leader.

Credit where credit is due, and the rest of the Caps deserve a lot of credit.

It’s awards day – time for the NHL to take Vegas for a little test drive and see how it fits. I hear it’s got great cupholders. And in that vein, time to crack open the Cheap Seats mailbox for another edition of “Ask CapsChick”:

CC –

- Bobby, Arlington

The one named after the chick, huh? I’m assuming you’re referring to the Lady Byng – although this is Vegas, maybe Mrs. Gretzky has an award named after her this year.

Ahem.

So, you want predictions? You got predictions. I’ll even throw in who I want to win versus who probably will, just for funsies. And…this seems to be the perfect time to remind everyone that I stink at predictions. So don’t go putting money on these based on what I say, please – and when you do, don’t blame me for losing your shirt.

Hart
CC’s Pick: Ovechkin
Who will win: Ovechkin

Well, if you read this blog you don’t need an explanation and most likely don’t need to be convinced, so I won’t waste my time. Next?

Pearson
CC’s Pick: Ovechkin
Who will win: Ovechkin

Again, no need to elaborate. The writing seems to be on the wall for this one, as well.

Norris
CC’s Pick: Green
Who will win: Green or Chara

I think this might be the year that Lidstrom gets beat, and what’s scary is he got nominated having what was, for him, a sub-par season. That’s how good he is, and those are some big shoes to fill.

And speaking of big…Chara is a mammoth of a man and a great defenseman. That Ovechkin seems intimidated by him speaks volumes to how good he can be. Like Green, he had a stellar regular season only to be merely adequate (and at times completely ineffective) in the playoffs, most likely due to injury. And should he win I doubt anyone will be calling shenanigans on the voting or claiming anyone was robbed – this year it’s really coming down to what defines the BEST defenseman to each of the voters.

As for our boy Green, I’ve already talked about why I think he could win. I think he’s a legitimate contender, especially as someone who embodies the speed and creativity that goes hand in hand with the new NHL – either way, though, I think the voting will be close.

And now for the non-Caps portion of our afternoon…if I must.

Calder
CC’s Pick: Mason
Who will win: Mason

Like the Hart Trophy, I’ve always felt that the Calder is tough for goaltenders to win. Goalies for better or for worse generally get the biggest spotlight put on them – teams are judged to be playoff contenders or flops based on what is between the pipes and they’re the only player for whom wins and losses are an actual stat.

That being said, Mason has the potential as a young goaltender to become Brodeur-esque in his ability to carry a team. He’s the biggest reason the Blue Jackets even sniffed the postseason this year. He collected shutouts like candy, including two against the Caps and their potent offense. If you want to get really technical about it you could even toss his name in with the Hart and/or Pearson candidates – but there’s time for that yet.

Vezina
CC’s Pick: Mason
Who will win: Thomas

It’s not that I don’t think Thomas is a good goaltender – or more accurately, a decent goaltender having a stellar year. But for all the hype surrounding him I’m just not ready to link “Vezina-winning” and “Tim Thomas” in the same sentence. I’ve seen the big saves he’s made; I’ve also seen the team he played behind, and they’re much more defensively sound than they got credit for. It was Red Wings-esque the way a good goalie became elevated to elite just by being on a good team, and with all apologies to Bruins fans I just don’t see it.

I’ve made my case for Steve Mason. He won’t win this one and there will be plenty more opportunities for him to do so – plus the field of viable candidates was pretty slim this season, with Brodeur missing most of the season with an injury and many of the “elite” guys having off years. It happens…and so a Bruin will probably take home the Vezina, and life goes on. (She says, stealthily hiding her Habs flag.)

Adams
CC’s Pick: Julien
Who will win: Julien

Last year the issue came up, as it does on a fairly regular basis, of whether you can award the Adams trophy to someone with a team as talent-laden as, for example, the Red Wings. It’s probably the reason Babcock didn’t get more votes, combined with the great story and amazing turnaround represented by one Bruce Boudreau. That could be an issue again this year, with McLellan and Julien battling it out as coaches of the two conference champions. Hell, we even have our Boudreau-esque candidate in Andy Murray, who performed miracles with a St. Louis team that was deemed dead in the water before preseason ended.

Still, it takes a talented coach to get the most out of talented people and there’s no getting around the new-look Bruins. They ditched the boring style of play, became tight defensively and were one of the strongest offensive teams in the league. They clearly bought into Julien’s system and that’s the mark of an Adams-worthy coach…now if he could only push a team past the second round of the playoffs.

Someday, right Claude?

Selke
CC’s Pick: Richards
Who will win: Datsyuk

I’m a big fan of everything Pavel Datsyuk does, so picking Richards over him is not so much an attack on Datsyuk as it is a symbol of how great I think Richards is – or at least how great he was this year. You can look at the shorthanded goals he scored, or at the number of shorties scored against the Flyers (that would be…0), or at his work ethic, or his consistency (80 points in 79 games). Or you can just remember how frustrating it was to play against him every time he was on the ice. A highly underrated player in my mind.

But that Datsyuk guy’s not bad, either.

Lady Byng
CC’s Pick: Parise
Who will win: St. Louis

He’s just such a nice guy, that Parise. But midget will win, if only because no one really cares about this one and he’s won it before.

…good, strong logic as usual.

Alright, folks – feel free to weigh in with your own picks. And remember to come out to Bailey’s in Ballston tonight to hang with your Hart-worthy bloggers JP and Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski!

(Oh, and I’ll probably stop by, too. Consider me the Lady Byng in a world of Harts and Pearsons.)

…and you should, too.

When people first started tossing around the words “Mike Green” and “Norris Trophy” in the same sentence earlier this season, it drew mixed reactions from a lot of hockey fans – particularly Caps fans, who were still waiting for the defensive end of his game to catch up with his offensive talents.

Yet as the season winds down, as we face just three games left in which to cement a lasting impression in the minds of those who decide these things, it’s becoming less and less of a ridiculous concept. Green for Norris? It could totally happen – and it should. (more…)

Oops. Somehow I missed the memo that today was supposed to be Happy Hockey Day…is it too late to pop that last post into yesterday’s archive?

It’s actually a grand idea by uber-blogger Paul Kukla, encouraging MSM writers and bloggers alike to embrace the good and positive things about hockey, getting away from the negativity that seems to dominate so much coverage these days.

Never in these parts, of course. I’m Miss Optimistic Happy Pants, 365 days a year.

Keeping up with that tradition, here’s a bit of happy for your hockey Monday: Ovechkin is the NHL’s player of the month for November.

There obviously wasn’t too much suspense – the guy did have 75 bazillion points in about 3 games or something ridiculous like that – but suspense is overrated, because it’s always nice to see our boys honored this way. And if you recall, Alexander Semin was last month’s player of the month, giving the Caps a delicious early season sweep of the monthly honors so far.

So who gets it this month? Backstrom? Laich? Sloan?

Time will tell…

So Ovechkin lost the ESPY. To Sidney Crosby.

Yes, ESPN is a ridiculous anti-hockey network at this point and yes, the ESPYs are probably the least prestigious award an NHLer can win at this point.

But still. Crosby??

Before I get attacked by angry Yinzers, this actually isn’t a dig at the Penguins or their fans. I don’t think this was Pittsburgh fans being idiots – even they know that if they wanted to be ridiculously homerish, Malkin was a better choice than #87. Anyone who watched this season knows Crosby just wasn’t playing enough to even be considered NHLer of the year.

So clearly it’s just a matter of the average ESPY voter being oblivious to hockey and therefore picking what is probably the most familiar name. But what is ESPN’s excuse for even having him on the ballot? You put someone who had an injury on there instead of someone like Zetterberg or even Kovalchuk…and all you do is live up to your reputation as a moronic institution.

Whatever. He can keep the oddly phallic award, and for one reason.

Okay, four reasons.

h/t to Japers for the heads-up and to a Japers’ commenter for the photo idea