A lot of hockey fans don't bother watching the NHL's All-Star Game because it's developed into a non-hitting game of shinny where the players stand idly by watching their "opposition" score almost at will. Of course it is kinda neat to see great young players alongside grizzled veterans, but with no real body contact, the interest in the annual game has waned for years. What's the NHL to do to spark some fan interest? Well, it seems using that newfangled internet thingy and allowing fans to vote on their favorite players would be a good option. But some die-hard fans seem to think of it as an opportunity to ensure their team's players get chosen as the best in the league.
The stuffing of ballots is getting ridiculous. Sure, vote for your favorite player, but don't try to cheat. 2nd rate players for the Montreal Canadiens are being touted as prime All Star material. What I want to see is players that are the best players by consensus. Right now, instead of deserving players like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, R.J. Umberger, Zach Parise, we could get "stellar" players like Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek. Markov and Komisarek are actually leading the balloting. Yuck. And apparently, Habs goalie Carey Price has 4 times as many votes as number 2 vote getter Henrik Lundqvist.
In goaltending stats, Price sits in 16th spot in save percentage, 17th in Goals-Against-Average, 10th for shutouts the season, and 9th for wins. Those numbers do not support any contention that Carey Price should be the number one vote getter on the All Star ballot. Sure the game is going to be played in Montreal as part of the Habs 100th year celebrations, but a look at who is leading the voting leaves a bad taste in any fan's mouth.
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