Carey Price Makes Case for the Hart

[Nucks4cup]

While I do believe he is a legitimate HART candidate, I am not sure what quoting comparisons to past Habs tenders have to do with it. Frankly, so what? His competition will come from players having great years THIS year. If he can lead the league in wins, post a couple more shutouts and boosts the Habs to Top 4 in the conference he has a chance. Otherwise it may just go to another Sedin twin.

As cool as it would be for Daniel to win it this year i dont think he should. I think Stamkos is in front of him. It should come down to Price adn Stamkos. Whoever wins, they both deserve it.

[afholmes87]

I've been trying to think of a reason why Price shouldn't win the Hart Trophy for the past 5-10 minutes and I really can't do it. I guess one could argue Stamkos, but if you take Stamkos why wouldn't you take St. Louis? You could take Daniel Sedin, but Henrik's just as worthy. The same could be said for most Hart candidates, they aren't the only one on their team, but I really can't think of one for Montreal, just Price. I was going to say Jimmy Howard is a more worthy candidate with his 33-13-5 record, compared to Carey's 33-22-6 record, but Carey doesn't have the highest scoring offense in the NHL in front of him(compared to Montreal's 24th), and defensemen of the likes of Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Kronwall, and Brad Stuart, and Howard's MODEST 2.77 GAA/.908 Save Percent aren't anything to write home about. Give it to Carey I guess.

[whatagoalie43]

without a doubt it my mind he is a candidate. Hes played a heck of season so far

[Wickabee]

I'd say the nominees are
Daniel Sedin
Carey Price
Steven Stamkos

Where it goes from there, couldn't say.

[RGM81]

Another big W last night, including a couple big saves on Stammer.

34 wins is the most for any Habs goalie since 1993-94!

[dtab316]

I'm gonna throw my hat in the ring for Marc-Andre Fleury.

If you take a team who's missing their (at any one time) 2 of their top 3 centers and (currently) their best defensive defenseman and STILL be in contention for not only the division title, but the number 1 seed for the conference title; that goaltender had better be mentioned for the Hart award.

Is there anyone out there this season who has done this? Oh, yeah. Marc-Andre Fleury.

Granted his numbers sucked at the start of the season, but look at them now. 31 wins (3 back of Price and played 6 fewer games), & a 2.35 GAA (compared to Prices 2.31), Save % of .918 (Price at .924). I'll give Price his due on the shutouts (8-2), but where would the Pens be WITH a healthy Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Orpik, & Kunitz for the entire season?

Currently, they happen to be 4th in the East and only 4 points behind Philly for the Division and Conference lead.

Scary isn't it?

[RGM81]

If you take a team who's missing their (at any one time) 2 of their top 3 centers and (currently) their best defensive defenseman and STILL be in contention for not only the division title, but the number 1 seed for the conference title; that goaltender had better be mentioned for the Hart award.

Is there anyone out there this season who has done this? Oh, yeah. Marc-Andre Fleury.

How about a goalie that's been missing his best defenceman for all but 9 games, his second-best defenceman since Boxing Day, his team sits 23rd in goals scored yet he's first in wins, and his team is contending for a division title? As you yourself mention, Fleury was not good at the start of the year - Price has been remarkably consistently good-to-great for the entire year.

Is Fleury more valuable to Pittsburgh's success than, say, Letang?

[ravens_creed]

I'm sorry, but I have to hate all over this Habs fest going on here. ;)
I won't deny Carey's proving all his critics wrong and then some this year, but talk of the Hart Trophy? Not gonna happen. He won't even get the Vezina, IMO. Here's why...

This talk is solely supported by the number of wins that Carey has, and it assumes he'll have 40+ by season's end. It ignores the fact that he isn't in the top 5 in both GAA and SV%. Wins are overrated. Wins can often be too much of a reflection of the team, and not necessarily the individual player. Let's look at baseball as a point of comparison. There's no way Felix Hernandez wins the Cy Young if his wins were more of an indication of his performance than his ERA and WHIP (and IP and SO). It's because the Mariners were garbage, and he was a stud on a terrible team, and his other numbers showed that. This is all fairly common knowledged, however. I just wanted to make the point of comparison, because I still think Tim Thomas's GAA and SV% give him the Vezina, and if that's the case, to bypass Thomas and award Price the Hart would be a very strange move. Carey's also started in a whopping 68 games already, and despite having good numbers in all major categories, he still may not lead in any (let alone not crack the top 5), and he's posted (at least) 23 losses this year as well. It's not happening, and you heard it here first... sorry to burst the bubble.

[RGM81]

Time will tell...but like I said, when you look at the criteria for the award, I just don't see how he can't be considered in the top three guys for the Hart.

[duwal]

How about a goalie that's been missing his best defenceman for all but 9 games, his second-best defenceman since Boxing Day, his team sits 23rd in goals scored yet he's first in wins, and his team is contending for a division title? As you yourself mention, Fleury was not good at the start of the year - Price has been remarkably consistently good-to-great for the entire year.

Is Fleury more valuable to Pittsburgh's success than, say, Letang?

come on now, just like Fleury had a bad start Carey Price really had a bad all of December too