This season's RHL All Star game participants were hand selected from each division's leading team's manager. The Carlingview Division is currently being led by the Georgetown Keg Kings holding an 8 point lead over the Lindsay Wazooz.
Due to injury, what was surely to be the latest edition of "The Crosby Show" will instead be a much more decided grinding version of Carlingview All-Stars.
Keg Kings General Manager Filion has released his selections:
G - Roberto Luongo - Kwik-E-Mart Gougers
Luongo is red hot with the leagues best SV% over the past 30 days at .948 picking up 5 wins. Overall he is tied for 5th in wins at 21 and 6th in SV% with a .923.
G - Marc-Andre Fleury - Lindsay Wazooz
Fleury is tied for 5th in the RHL in Wins this season with 21, while his .922 SV% ranks 12th. Fleury's real value shows with his consistency, and Pittsburg's 5 games over the All-Star break.
F - Tuomo Ruutu - Burlington Firecats
With Sidney Crosby out due to injury the Firecats depth is being tested. Brent Seabrook was looking like the best selection but his 3 game schedule was tough to ignore. Tuomo Ruutu is no slouch, an un-drafted forward has turned it on as of late, ranked at #8 in the past 30 days with 19 points in just 14 games. He is a serious threat to score but his real value is the 186 hits that rank #2 in the entire league.
F - Ryan Kesler - Georgetown Keg Kings
Kesler is the top goal scorer representing the Carlingview All Stars. He has 25 goals, good for 4th in the RHL. His overall performance will be key as he is in the top 25 in +/- (+15), and just outside the top 25 in both PIM and Hits.
F - Jeff Carter - Moonstone Brewers
Carter will be the lone representative from the Brewers organization. Carter has a balanced attack making the team with top 25 numbers in goals (20) and +/- (+14). He also has 20 assists and the team is counting on a better than 'average' performance out of this mandatory selection.
F - Brad Richards - Lindsay Wazooz
Brad Richards is an all or nothing pick. Easily the best offensive selection now that Crosby won't play, he is top 25 in goals with 19, ranked 3rd overall in assists with 37. However his peripheral numbers in PIM and hits are low and so he will be counted on to score or will be considered a disappointment. However, his performance to date is above and beyond.
F - Eric Staal - Peterborough Mullets
Eric Staal has put together a strong season so far with 47 points including an 8th place rank with 22G. His 25 assists sits just off the top 25 and his 38PIM and 62 hits are decent production from a top scoring forward. Eric's biggest challenge will be not hurting the team with a team low -9 plus minus rating.
F - Nicklas Backstrom - Lindsay Wazooz
Nick Backstrom is the Ying to Ovechkin's Yang, and while the latter is not confirmed we can anticipate he will be facing off for the Westport All Stars. Backstrom just scored his first goal in 21 games and so his goal production may not help, he does have 32A and is +12. He will be insurance against a major Washington breakout and should help offensively regardless.
D - Nicklas Lidstrom - Kwik-E-Mart Gougers
No one would have guessed this 40yr old D man could be at the All Star game yet again this season but his production cannot be ignored. He is 3rd in goals and 4th in assists among all defensemen. His plus minus has slipped this season, currently sitting at -2, but considering his career number is +427 he may easily rebound during the All Star week.
D - James Wisniewski - Burlington Firecats
Somewhat of an unknown prior to this season, James has a disastrous -18 rating overall, but since he switched teams what you notice is there are few hotter d-men over the past 30 days. Wisniewski has 15 points and is plus 2 over that time. He can add to hits with 71 over the season almost 2 per game.
D - Chris Pronger - Chinatown Jets
Losing Crosby to injury right before the All Star game will hurt the chances of the Carlingview Division but on the flip side of that injury coin, Chris Pronger returns just in time to suit up. Chris may not have outstanding numbers overall, but he is big physical presence that will take penalties and plays serious PP time on one of the hottest teams. 11 of his 17 points come on the power play and in 32 games is already a +7.
D - Mike Green - Georgetown Keg Kings
When Green has been labeled as one of the biggest disappointments this season despite being ranked 9th in the division, you know the expectations are high. Mike's 5 games over the All Star game worked in his favour, as well as his top 5 hitting over the past 30 days. He still has the talent to bust out at any point, so here's to hoping it's now.
No comments:
Post a Comment