Jamie Benn Finalist For Ted Lindsay; Why It’s A Tough Race
Jamie Benn was named one of the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Tuesday night. Even though Benn fits the category perfectly, it still came as a shock to many Stars fans, especially considering the three prior snubs the Stars had already received in the NHL Awards process.
The Ted Lindsay Award is presented annually to the “Most Outstanding Player” in the NHL, as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. This means the NHL’s MVP according to the players themselves. Jamie Benn and Carey Price will be going for the first Ted Lindsay Award of their careers, while Alex Ovechkin will be hunting for his fourth (share the wealth a little, will ya?)
But, as good of a season as Jamie Benn had, he is in the thick of it against two tough competitors, each with excellent seasons under their belts as well.
Let’s take a quick look at the three finalists and what each did during the season, and then let you vote at the end of who you think deserves it.
Jamie Benn:
As we all know, the Dallas Stars captain had a season that record books drool over. In his second season as the captain of the Stars, Benn truly thrived under the role of leader. After breaking his own career highs in goals, assists, and points during his freshman term as captain, he shattered his own records for a second straight season. Tallying 35 goals and 52 assists which combined for 87 points, Jamie Benn won the Art Ross Trophy with seconds to go in the final game of the regular season. The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the NHL player with the most points at the end of the regular season, and Benn edged New York Islanders captain John Tavares by a primary assist with 8 seconds remaining in regulation against the Nashville Predators. He did this in front of a Dallas crowd in sheer disbelief.
Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-6
Puck Prose
With 87 points in 82 games, Benn played his second complete 82 game campaign with the Dallas Stars. He did all of this with a faulty hip, which won’t filter into the voting process, but is still a noteworthy point to make. Since becoming captain, Benn has only missed one game, being the final game of the 2013-2014 season when he was a healthy scratch to reserve himself for the playoffs. Benn picked up the slack when prior leading scorer Tyler Seguin went down with a knee injury and carried the team along. Nothing gets in his way, and he proves his worthiness and leadership every time he steps out on the ice.
Alex Ovechkin:
Alex Ovechkin continues to be one of the most entertaining and productive players in the NHL. Coming off of an 81 game season in which the only game he missed was the final game due to a healthy scratch, the Capitals captain helped lead his team to their best record in the past five years and to a playoff berth. The Capitals are currently in the second round after beating the Islanders in seven games, and are currently flirting with knocking off the defending Eastern Conference Champions after taking a 2-1 series advantage over the New York Rangers.
Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-17
Stars and Sticks
With 53 goals, Ovechkin led the league and earned himself the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals in the NHL. He led the Capitals in goals, with second place being 33 goals back. Ovechkin totaled 81 points on the year, and currently has eight points in ten playoff games, though postseason statistics are not included in the judging process. Ovechkin must have moved on to a second trophy shelf by now, considering he already has 12 NHL awards, with his newest Rocket Richard bringing the total to 13. Ovechkin is a known and feared player league-wide and knows how to score.
Carey Price:
So after two forwards, it’s only fair that they nominate a goaltender as well. And Carey Price must be the man for the nomination.
Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-28
A Winning Habit
Carey Price is coming off the best season of his career, just like the other two finalists. With a final record of 44-16-6, Price led his Montreal Canadiens to a third straight playoff berth. Price was magnificent in net, finishing the season with a new franchise-high in wins. Price finished the year with a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals against average, both new career highs. It was his first time past .927 and his first time under 2.30 for the two statistics. So, as you can see, some major improvement from an already stellar goalie. Along with this award, Price is also in the running for the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and the Vezina Trophy (best goaltender). He also co-won the William M. Jennings Trophy with Corey Crawford for a goaltender with at least 25 games played that totaled the least amount of goals against.
So as you can see, Benn has his work cut out for him. The sad part is that the other two finalists are in the second round of the playoffs, while the Stars are on an early vacation. Maybe Benn’s season doesn’t seem as elite as the other two because his numbers have been beaten like a bass drum. That’s probably it, right?
But what Benn does have working for him against Ovechkin is the part of sharing. Benn leads the league because of his goals and assists, while Ovechkin only leads in goals. Benn’s ability to share the puck could prove as a positive. And in regards to Price, only two goaltenders have ever won the award, and the last one to win was Dominik Hasek in 1998. Plus, the last goaltender to be nominated was Henrik Lundqvist in 2012.
It will be fun to see who they end up choosing on June 24th in Las Vegas. Either way, our handicapped captain will be up on that stage for at least one award!
Next: Numbers Don't Lie: Dallas Stars Are Getting Back On The Radar
More from Blackout Dallas
- Dallas Stars Traverse City Tournament: Who had great performances?
- Grushnikov and Stankoven lead Dallas Stars to 6-3 win over Columbus
- Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
- Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs