Voting Inconsistencies Abound in 2009 NHL All-Star Game

When it comes to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game starting lineup--as voted on by the fans, and officially announced on Jan. 3--there are, quite simply, Habs, and Hab nots.

Of the six starters for the Eastern Conference, four hail from the Montreal Canadiens, who host the game at the Bell Centre on Jan. 25.

The remaining starters in the East are both Pittsburgh Penguins, whereas, in the West, the starters are split evenly between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks.

Which either means those four clubs have far-and-away the best teams in the league (although none of them lead their respective divisions), or they simply have the most dedicated fans in all the NHL.

Take, for instance, Habs forward Alexei Kovalev, voted to start the game alongside teammates Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek and Carey Price. Kovalev, unquestionably, can be one of the most awe-inspiring scorers in all the NHL. And while his consistency has often been questioned, he seemed to silence most critics last season, his fourth with Montreal, as he netted 35 goals and 84 points, marking his highest-scoring campaign since ranking fourth in the league with the 2000-2001 Penguins. Many assumed Kovalev's offensive output would be further elevated this season given the Canadiens' off-season acquisitions of veterans Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang. But, nearing the midway point of the season, Kovalev has struggled mightily, entering the week with just 28 points in 37 contests and just two in his last five. He ranks 113th in goals and 66th in points. Yet, he's starting the All-Star Game.

Perhaps more telling of what some may deem "discrepancies" in the balloting is the near-inclusion of Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Sergei Gonchar in the East's starting six. A five-time All-Star, he's arguably one of the league's premier players at the position, and his numbers are almost always deserving of an All-Star nod. Except, this season, that is: He's been injured since September and hasn't played a shift since the preseason. Yet he still finished third in voting among Eastern Conference defensemen, followed by his teammate Ryan Whitney, who missed the first two months of the season after having foot surgery.

Nevertheless, some minor inconsistencies aren't anything for the league to necessarily be embarrassed about. After all, Brett Favre got voted to play in this year's upcoming Pro Bowl, despite having, statistically, one of the poorest seasons of his career, throwing to the other team as often as his own. That said, if there ever was an argument that the system was perhaps a tad flawed, it was the fact that Tim Thomas, who's gone 16-3-3-3 with the Bruins, wasn't even included on the ballot. But, then again, neither was his equally impressive "back-up" Manny Fernandez. Collectively, the duo ranks first in every goaltending category of note. (For what it's worth, Thomas did manage to pick up the most write-in votes of any player, though it was well over a million shy of starter Carey Price's total.)

That said, we've cast our vote--late as it may be--for the shoulda-been NHL All-Star Game starters. Some are upstarts having breakout seasons, while others are a bit more obvious. In a few instances, the voters undoubtedly got it right.

Eastern Conference:

Goalie:

It was widely presumed that after the injury of Martin Brodeur in early November, the Devils would quickly fall from the playoff picture, especially considering they play in what is arguably the most heated division in the league. Kevin Weekes, who hadn't started on a regular basis since 2004, proved to be largely ineffective, going 1-3 following Brodeur's departure.

Enter Scott Clemmensen, an untested 31-year-old who started some 20 games with the Devils between 2001-2007, before they reacquired him in the off-season from Toronto. He impressed in his first three outings, though they were all loses, allowing just five goals on 71 shots, but his best was yet to come. On the heals of an 11-1-1 stretch, he's reeled in Top 10 numbers in wins, goals against average and save percentage. As such, the Devils currently trail division-leading Philadelphia by just three points.

Defensemen:

It's rather hard to dispute that Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov, the Canadien blue liners voted to start the All-Star Game, aren't deserving of such an honor. Komisarek is a hard-nosed defenseman's defenseman with a knack for blocking shots, and Markov is currently fourth in assists among defensemen.

That said, it's hard not to notice Mark Streit, who averages over 25 minutes a game and leads defensemen in scoring while playing on the lowly Isles. Dennis Wideman (who leads the league with a +25) and Zdeno Chara have been superb for the Bruins and would make an equally impressive starting duo.

Forwards:

Clearly Alex Ovechkin isn't the most likable guy in the league (he didn't even reach the 500,000-vote mark, and had a third as many votes as Alex Tanguay), but he has two goals fewer than elected starter Kovalev has total points, and, not to mention, he's got his Capitals sitting pretty with a 10 point division lead. Caps coach Bruce Boudreau may have been understating it when he called Ovechkin's omission "dumb."

Given their absurd vote totals (1,713,021 and 1,585,936, respectively), it seems everyone that voted picked Penguin superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. And rightfully so: The two rank first and second in overall scoring (Malkin holds a 7 point edge at present) and will likely battle, along with Ovechkin, for the Hart, Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson Awards.

Western Conference:

Goalie:

While it's simply unfair to hockey history to mention his name in the same breath as Glenn Hall, arguably the greatest and most innovative goalie ever, it's impossible not to. Last week, Columbus Blue Jackets keeper Steve Mason became the first rookie to record shutouts in three straight starts since Hall did it in '55. Beyond his heady stats (No. 1 rank among all goalies in goals against average, shutouts and save percentage), the Jackets are winning games on a regular basis and, at present, would actually make the playoffs. Mason, across the board, has All-Star Game starter Jean-Sebastien Giguere--who's had a slightly off year--beat in every statistical category, and, to boot, he doesn't have Pronger or Niedermayer in front of him every night.

Defensemen:

Brian Campbell was the top vote-getter among defensemen in the conference, and given the integral role he's played in Chicago's turnaround, he's more than deserving of the nod, the third of his career. His teammate Duncan Keith has, however, had an equally impressive year, and wouldn't have been a bad selection by a mile.

That the Ducks' Scott Niedermayer barely beat out teammate Chris Pronger for the other defensive slot is rather telling: They're both likely hall of famers and, and while not a stat-heavy year for either, they're the heart and soul of the Duck team, and, in a perfect world, would both be present at this year's All-Star festivities.

Forwards:

It's hard to say that voters got all three offensive starters for the West wrong, but, quite frankly, they did. While Toews, Kane and Getzlaf are indeed a intimidating trio--all have over 20 assists, and the latter two rank Top 15 in scoring--they're no match to the Crosby-Malkin-Kovalev line the East will be opening with, and, as such, we've done a little tinkering.

For starters, any ballot that didn't include Jarome Iginla, pound for pound the league's most well-rounded player, is a vote against mankind. He's the beast that can singlehandedly take down the East. His 45 points are second-best in the conference, and he's on pace to score 100 points for the first time in his career.

On the other wing, shoulda-been All-Star Loui Eriksson, not only came out of nowhere to help guide the Stars back into playoff contention (and shake the disease that Sean Avery left on the franchise), but he leads a team that includes Modano, Richards and Brunnström in goals. Expect Erikson, with his 27 percent shooting percentage--second to only Kyle Wellwood--to push for 50 goals.

Down the middle, there's no greater force than Joe Thornton, who's help lead the Sharks to the best record in the conference. He's an outstanding +19 on the year, giving him the edge over Getzlaf, who has the same point tally, but is only +4 (and not to mention the Ducks are 20 points behind the Sharks in the standings). Also worthy of a mention are Thornton's high-flying teammates Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi, who could both eclipse 80 points by season's end.