A healthy debate is nice. Its about to time that you can recognize Crosby achievements as well as I can for JT. Its not about name calling or saying he will win just because. But if JT wins, I will congratulate him and you for putting up with the isles ownership, and visa versa.

How many times have the islanders made the playoffs WITH JT on their roster? IF MVP is most value, why hasn’t he carried the team into the playoffs every year he’s been on the roster? Perceived is different.

That’s not necessarily true. I know a different sport, but the same concept. The LA Dodgers. Their payroll is 220 MILLION, highest in the league. They are 18-26. Then take the Oakland A’s. Their payroll is 60 MILLION, YET, they are 25-22.

It’s all about the islanders front office. If they have money, why are they saving it for next year?

Of course you’ll have more points when you are surrounded by better talent. Put Crosby or Ovie on a line with Boyes and Moulson and see if they make it halfway through the season before they request a trade or kill themselves. Crosby had a great rookie season and if you take him off that team they go from last place to last place. If MVP is based on most valuable to their team it’s no contest. Look out how the islanders were perceived a year ago and how they are today. It’s due in majority to one player. If GMs got to take another player from each teams JT would be picked by all from the Islanders while some GMs would take Crosby and others Malkin since they are both all world talents. Personally I look forward to having cup runs rather than MVP debates.

Crosby has missed 101 games in the last 4 years. How many times in that span has pitt missed the playoffs?

Just answer the question honestly. I know why you wont- bc it’d blow up you whole argument. Which blows anyway.

that point is irrelevant… when you keep repeating the same question, it doesnt help your creditably.

Ovechkin helped his team go 11-1-1 in april..

The islanders BARELY made the playoffs.

Crosby: 56 points in 36 games
Piled up points at a rate of 1.56
The same year he won the MVP in 2007, he both had 36 goals. His plus minus rating in 2007 was PLUS 10. This year 26.

Hmmmm. I see a trend here.

In 2005, Crosby’s FIRST season since being drafted, the team was in last place that year, he had 102 points. 63 ASSISTS!

In 2006 season where crosby won the hart, he amassed 84 ASSISTS.

In 2013 season, Crosby got 41 ASSISTS.

Stop avoiding the question.

1. Actually he was coach of the baby pens, in 2008-2009 when he got called up to coach for the pens.

2. If the isles have money, why arent the spending it now? Makes the team less relevant. Wouldn’t they want to WIN NOW, than NEXT YEAR. Pens saw the opportunity to get Morrow, Iginla. It makes the league say, ” WE WANT TO WIN NOW.”

3. Again, his salary has nothing to do with the success of the Pens. Tavares signed a six-year, $33 million extension with the Islanders. That equals to about 5.5. million a year. Now Crosby is getting paid more, about 8.7 million. He was offered more money but took less to help his team. If JT is making 5.5 mil a year, why hasnt the team won?

4. Did JT play hockey last year? or the year before? so he played for the isles the last couple of years and they team STILL didn’t make the playoffs…

Again, come up with new material. Check your facts. Maybe look on wikipedia but you utter some more nonsense.

Daniel’s cowardice and avoidance shows that even biased pens fans who are hardcore bandwagoneers will avoid the following facts:

1) they won a cup because they were coached by an Islanders coach

2)they win without Crosby because they saw a window of opportunity and of course took it. Their team as formed is irrelevant in 3 years

3) Pens win with or without crosby. He’s a dynamic player no doubt, but his value added isn’t all that great, especially since he’s paid more than the entire 4th and part of the 3rd line

4) without crosby, this is still a playoff team. Thus, NOT an MVP. Actually, on a team that talented, he’s a detriment.

Also, they have to work in pittsburgh. I’d prefer to work in Johannesburg.

Now onto Ovechkin:
Finished 3rd in points
First in Power Play Goals
Leading the Capitals to an 11-1-1 record in April

again, you are a blogger, you are biased. but please spell “nielsen” right.

Let me know what you think

He has a plus 26 rating… compared to JT’s…

He collected points in 28 of the 36 games he played in (77.8%), including 17 multi-point efforts, and recorded three point streaks of six games or more, including an eight-game stretch.

The same year he won the MVP in 2007, he both had 36 goals. His plus minus rating in 2007 was PLUS 10. This year 26.

Now onto Ovechkin:
Finished 3rd in points
First in Power Play Goals
Leading the Capitals to an 11-1-1 record in April

again, you are a blogger, you are biased. but please spell “nielsen” right.

But i guess stats doesnt mean shit to you. GO JT

It seems that you like points per game as the MVP indicator. That’s an awful choice for stats, but then again, so is goals- Crosby finished 3rd out of the 3 candidates in that category, btw. Regardless, points per game for candidates and ‘best’ cast:

Crosby: 1.56
Kunitz- 1.08
Malkin- 1.07
Neal – .9
Letang- 1.09

Ovechkin: 1.17
Riberio- 1.02
Backstrom- 1.00
Green- .74

Tavares: .98
Moulson- .94
Boyes – .73
Streit- .56

So we see that the cast of characters that Tavares carried to the playoffs was FAR weaker than the teams fielded around the other two candidates. What’s more, look at the scoring distribution on Pitt and Wash: 2 of the Caps centers were right after 8 in ppg, meaning that the Caps got scoring from a line that wasnt just Ovechkin. Same for Pittsburgh, who managed to have a point per game DEFENSEMAN. But the Islanders? All of the point leaders on the team were Tavares’ linemates. What about the Islanders #2 center, Frans Neilsen? .6 ppg.

So where Crosby rocked a pretty high clip per game, when he was out so did 4 other guys. In fact, his being out may have brought up other players scoring- I haven’t looked at game logs, but I do know that the Penguins won an awful lot without Crosby. If that scoring hunch is the case, it shows that Crosby is actually less valuable to his team, especially considering a $9 million cap hit, which will be 12-15% of the salary cap next season.

And where Ovechkin did his goal thing, it wasn’t all season long. Ovechkin got his tenth goal in game 28. 8 scored 22 goals in the last 20 games, and that grabbed headlines and pushed his team into the postseason, but lets not forget the Milbury rant pointing out how often Ovie checks out, sometimes for games at a time. Nor does an MVP threatened to abandon his team, as Ovechkin did.

So looking at ppg, it shows me that Tavares carried 2 players, whereas both Washington and Pitts had compliments to their candidates. But more importantly, lets look at this contest via anecdotal information, and you can explain your answer-

Remove 87 from Pitt. Do they still make the playoffs?
Remove 8 from the Capitals. Do they still make the playoffs?
Remove 91 from the Island. Do they still make the playoffs?

Let me know what you think

Bailey-Tavares-Nino
Grabner-Strome-Okposo
Nelson-Nielsen-Stalberg
Martin-Cizikas-McDonald

Trade Moulson in a package for a top 2 defensman, His limited game was exposed big time in the playoffs. Trade the 1st and a mid-level prospect for Bernier.

My hybrid off-season with a little of what I want and what the Isles MIGHT do. I of course don’t expect Moulson to be traded, but with 1 year left on his contract and a very one dimensional game, this is probably the time to move him.

As a blogger, you should appreciate the accomplishments of each MVP candidate. What Ovie and crosby has done this season is remarkable. You shouldn’t diminish the each player’s pros and cons. Just because crosby beat you in the playoffs, you shouldn’t take away from his season. If got a problem with it, email bettman.

Just because Crosby, this season, piled up points at a rate of 1.56 compared to 0.98 with JT, doesn’t mean name calling is called for. The fact that crosby has sooo many players you say, Yes, but he is one of the top players in ASSISTS. that means he values in helping out his team vs his record.

Just looking out for you, man.

Here’s why JT is MVP. The Penguins finished first with the second best record in hockey, and Crosby missed 25% of Pitt’s games. If they were 36-0 w Cin and 0-12 without, he wins hands down. But they had 4 other players scoring at more than a point a game, so really, they win with or without him. Also, an MVP isn’t the points scoring title, so we just dont give every years top scorer the MVP. Replacement value is a factor, and 87 is replacable. No one is as productive, but they don’t have to be, either.

Ovechkin is a strong candidate for MVP, absolutely. As he turned, so did his team. Except, he had to turn. Disappearing for half a season and then dropping in 20 of your 30 goals in the final 18 games? What about the first 30?

Tavares produced consistently all season, but point totals aren’t the case here. The Pens make the playoffs without Crosby. The Caps wouldn’t make the playoffs without Ovechkin…unless they could have kept Semin, who they couldn’t pay because of Ovechkin. Also, an MVP doesn’t threaten to abandon his team for Russia after a lockout.

And the Islanders? An expansion team without 91. He sets the tone, he makes guys stand up and be accountable. He held himself and his team accountable after last season, and with some good fortune, they actually made it into the playoffs. Without him, this team is drafting Seth Jones. With him…they’ll screw the first round pick up on someone else.

Crosby has Kunitz and DuPuis. Ovechkin has Backstrom and Green. Tavares has…Matt Moulson. That’s it.

To us, it’s a slam dunk. But we know Crosby will win or else LeMove will start crying.

JT for MVP.

With all due respect, your own writers do not think he should win MVP, yet you are bragging about how he should win.

Any thoughts?

The team isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly on the upswing. If people can’t see that now, then they will never see it. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming years, but now it’s officially on Garth Snow and Charles Wang to make this team a better hockey club. We shall see as we go forward.

Kyle Okposo has to come off strong, though. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say the lockout got to him this season, but the Isles need KO early in an 82 games season. He needs to show up to play from the beginning. Here’s to a better season.

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You’re right though, it comes down to play and both are playing well.

Stalberg in next game?