Apr 30, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) moves the puck past Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) during the first period in game one of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

By now I’m sure you’ve all heard the news that, after weeks of speculation, the PHWA votes have been counted and 3 nominees have been selected for the title of Best Rookie Of The Year, also known as the Calder Trophy.

The 3 nominees are: Brandon Saad (of the Chicago Blackhawks), Brendan Gallagher (of the Montreal Canadiens) and Jonathan Huberdeau (of the Florida Panthers).

Minnesota Wild fans, along with many other fans, pundits and writers are outraged that Jonas Brodin hasn’t even been nominated, as it was widely speculated that he would win the Calder this year on the basis of his excellent defensive play.

In the coming days, there will be many reasons and conspiracy theories bandied about as to why Brodin was overlooked, namely:

-Defensive skill isn’t considered.

-Voters only look at the raw statistics such as Goals, Assists and +/- (Ugh!).

-”East Coast Bias”, with writers ignoring the affairs of Western Conference teams other than the “un-ignorable” President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks.

Whatever the real reason is, I’m going to take a look at each nominee, along with Jonas Brodin and analyse their regular seasons performances.

• Firstly, a bit of background information on each player:

Jonathan Huberdeau

Apr 25, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau (11) before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the BB

Huberdeau was picked 3rd overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2011 entry draft, and joined the league this year after leading the Saint John Sea Dogs to the QJMHL championship last year (alongside Charlie Coyle and Zack Phillips). At the beginning of the regular season he was rated by many as the #1 prospect to watch.

…According to ‘Hockey’s Future’:

“As the Panthers have struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances, Huberdeau has on many nights been the team’s best player on the ice. His poise, dazzling offensive skills, and highlight reel goals set him above not only the rest of the Panthers pack, but most prospects worldwide.”

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/89677/many-top-prospects-for-florida-panthers-starting-to-come-of-age/#more-89677

Brendan Gallagher

Apr. 11, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

A 5th round pick in the 2010 draft, Gallagher has exceeded all expectations in his development. A lot of this is down to his fierce work-rate and competitiveness. He left the WHL at the beginning of the season and spent the first half of the year with the Canadiens AHL affiliate,  the Hamilton Bulldogs, before joining the big club after the lockout.

…According to ‘Hockey’s Future’:

“Gallagher has performed way above his projected potential by making the Canadiens this season after the NHL lockout and has forced himself onto the one of the team’s top lines. He has become the Canadiens heart when they are behind late in the game. The little spark-plug will not quit or give up until the final buzzer and is almost hyper in his efforts to score or make things happen for his team. The rest of his teammates seem to follow his lead and attack the opposition as well.”

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/89405/montreal-canadiens-prospect-awards-feature-diverse-skilled-group-of-players/

Brandon Saad

Apr 22, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad (20) reacts to a clip by Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler (not pictured) during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Saadd was a 2nd round pick, 43rd overall, in the 2011 entry draft, selected by the Chicago Blackhawks. A prototypical power-forward, Saad has risen through the ranks quickly, making his NHL debut last year and solidifying his place on the Blackhawk’s top line this year.

…According to ‘Hockey’s Future’:

“Given the opportunity to open the 2013 NHL season on the Blackhawks’ top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, Brandon Saad has shown just why he is considered the club’s top prospect. Not only does he have the skill to keep up with two of the league’s top offensive players, but he has also succeeded in bringing a physical, north-south style to the line as well. He plays well around the net and does not shy away from battling in the corners or around the goal mouth.”

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/86011/chicago-blackhawks-rookie-brandon-saad-remains-organizations-top-prospect/

Jonas Brodin

Mar 25, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) clears the puck during the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Wild defeated the Stars 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jonas Brodin was the Wild’s 1st round pick in 2011. After 3 years in Sweden’s top division, this year Brodin made the jump to North America and adapted extremely well to the AHL, before joining the Wild early in the regular season. He has spent the whole year as Ryan Suter’s defensive partner, and together they have shone. His responsible defensive game, based on elite skating ability, great positioning and awareness and amazing hockey IQ has been the perfect compliment to Suter’s North-to-South game.

…According to ‘Hockey’s Future’:

“Brodin’s offensive numbers do not really impress but his on-ice intelligence is truly exceptional. He found ways to get shots on net and on the whole demonstrated a complete skill set, with positional awareness, smooth and conservative skating, good stickwork, and an ability to outlet pass. Calder voters may be swayed by the argument that Ryan Suter’s presence on the back end would help any player look confident. Observers of Jonas Brodin may have also noticed that the teenaged Brodin’s play contributed to Suter’s peace of mind as well.”

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/89997/group-of-nhl-rookies-spotlighted-in-minnesota-wild-prospect-awards/

• Secondly, let’s look at the basic regular season statistics for each player:

-Blocked shots and hits aren’t the most telling of stats as they usually are much higher for teams with poor puck possession numbers due to the amount of time spent without the puck. But it’s worth noting that Brodin hasn’t thrown many hits but has blocked an extremely high number of shots. This correlates with his playing style, which is based around good positioning rather than brute physicality.

-Huberdeau tied Nail Yakupov at the top of the rookie scoring charts this year with 31 points.

-Gallagher played fewer minutes per night than the others and missed 4 games, yet managed to have the highest shot total.

-Brodin led all rookies in TOI/G, and played far more PK time than any of the other rookies here.

• Now, here are some of each player’s advanced statistics:

-Huberdeau was the shining light on a bad team, beset by injuries that finished bottom of the league. His numbers show that he played tough competition and put up nice Corsi numbers with very little help, though his heavy offensive zone usage benefited him.

-Gallagher played fairly protected minutes, not facing the other team’s best competition and being deployed mostly in the offensive zone, and he took advantage of this to post an excellent +16.1 Corsi Rel.

-Saad played tough minutes on his team, though he did it almost exclusively alongside Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews (pretty decent as far as linemates go) and posted a solid +9 Corsi Rel. It’s hard to say how much this was affected by having two top quality linemates, but I can vouch that whenever I watched him this year, he looked like an integral part of the team and not just a passenger.

-Jonas Brodin took on the highest percentage of defensive zone starts, and the other team’s toughest competition throughout the season and yet posted +4.9 Corsi Rel, the highest from a defenceman on a bad puck possession team. His numbers demonstarte the amazing amount of faith his coach had in him all year.

(For info about Corsi Rel: http://www.anaheimcalling.com/2013/2/20/4008038/cam-fowler-advanced-stats-corsi-relative)

• Finally, here are each players advanced statistics in visual form as Player Usage Charts:

 Huberdeau:

-Florida Panthers: Forwards: 40 Games Played:

Gallagher:

-Montreal Canadiens: Forwards: 40 Games Played:

Saad:

-Chicago Blackhawks: Forwards: 40 Games Played:

Brodin:

-Minnesota Wild: Defencemen: 40 Games Played:

(All Player Usage Charts courtesy of SomeKindOfNinja.com. For more visit: http://somekindofninja.com/nhl/usage.php?f1=2012_s&f2=5v5&f3=&f5=&f4=&f7=&bubbleType=corsiRel&yAxis=qoc&update-filters=Update+Results)

In conclusion, looking at all the data I have assembled here, my 3 nominees would be:

1. -Brodin
2. -Saad
3. -Huberdeau

Gallagher played a great season, but my reasons for excluding him are that he played reasonably well-protected minutes compared to the others, he had the lowest average ice time and, at 21, he is older than the others. He still put up great points and a fantastic Corsi Rel number, but I feel that Brodin, Saad and Huberdeau are more deserving.

Saad and Brodin both showed that they could play the toughest minutes and earn their respective coaches’ trust, and though they played alongside star players, they thrived and didn’t just play a complimentary role.

Huberdeau played tough minutes mostly due to the fact that his team was run down with injuries and lack of quality forwards, but to give him credit, he thrived in a bad situation and is a great young player.

Picking a final winner out of the 3 is nearly impossible and they all had great seasons. I can see merit in all of them. If I had to choose, I would pick Brodin, on the basis that he was playing on a team that struggled and was hot and cold all year, yet his performances never slipped. He was consistently excellent game in, game out even when the rest of the team played poorly.

Saad was excellent, but the Blackhawks were so good as a whole this year and were rarely put under any pressure, so it is hard to make a proper judgement. Hubredeau would be a worthy winner, but I pick Brodin ahead of him because he was more consistent and played nearly 6 minutes more per night (Also I’m a complete homer).

Feb 14, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild former forward Andrew Brunette (15) waves to the crowd prior to the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Xcel Energy Center. The Avalanche defeated the Wild 4-3 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

With the Minnesota Wild about to embark on its first post-season adventure in 5 years, I’ve decided to take a look back at the team’s 3 previous play-off runs.

In this edition, I will be re-visiting the 1^st game of the 1^st round from 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Before we all get wrapped up in play-off fever tomorrow, let’s take a little walk down memory lane.

2002/2003: Round 1, Game 1

Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche

9:00 PM ET, April 10, 2003

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

Oct 17, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Colorado Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk (23) warms up before playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The Avalanche beat the Maple Leafs 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, this series was a mis-match. The Avalanche had won two Stanley Cup titles in seven years and a record nine straight division championships, while the Wild was a third-year team making its first playoff appearance. Coach Jacques Lemaire even joked that his players might have to untie Colorado’s skates just to have a chance.

The Avs dominated the 1^st period, outshooting the Wild 18-3, but the scores remained level thanks to an inspired performance from Dwayne Roloson, in only his 5^th career start. He opened the game by stopping a wraparound by Bates Battaglia in the first minute, then made a diving glove save on a rebound by Sakic a few seconds later.

In the 2^nd period, the Wild stunned the Avs when Filip Kuba scored the first postseason goal in Wild history, one-timing a pass from Andrew Brunette on the PP. 4 minutes later Marian Gaborik scored another PP goal, firing the puck between Patrick Roy’s legs. The Wild has barely finished celebrating when Wes Walz converted after a missed wrap-around chance from Pascal Dupuis.

Peter Forsberg, the league’s leading scorer with 106 points, was kept quiet as the looked to throw him off his game. Walz left Forsberg kneeling and holding his nose after a collision in the second period, and another check late in the period lifted him off the ice. Diminutive Cliff Ronning even took a shot at Forsberg shortly after jumping over the boards early in the third.

A goal from Joe Sakic before the end of the 2^nd period gave Colorado a glimmer of hope, but they were unable to push on, and the game finished 4-2 to the Wild after Andrew Brunette and Milan Hedjuk traded goals late in the 3^rd.

Interestingly, 3/6 of the goal scorers are still playing in the NHL, and Brunette only retired this year.

2006/2007: Round 1, Game 1

Minnesota Wild @ Anaheim Ducks

10:30 PM ET, April 11, 2007

Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Oct 27, 2011; St. Paul, MN, USA; Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry (10) celebrates his goal with forward Teemu Selanne (8) during the first period against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild finished the 2007 season in 7^th place in the West, which meant they would be facing the 2^nd seed, Pacific division champion Anaheim Ducks.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pulled a surprise by starting Ilya Bryzgalov instead of JS Giguere, who had just taken time off due to medical complications with his newborn son.

Bryzgalov made 24 saves, but let in the opening goal, a slap-shot from Pavol Demitra in the 2^nd period. 3 minutes after this, Teemu Selanne tied things up when he took a long pass from Francois Beauchemin, broke behind the defense and into the slot, where he slid the puck between Niklas Backstrom’s pads.

Dustin Penner scored the GWG with 5 minutes remaining in the 3^rd period. Penner poked the puck in after Kim Johnsson crashed into Backstrom, sending him sprawling backward into the net. The puck was sitting in the crease, and Corey Perry swept it toward the goal. Penner took a couple of swipes at it and forced it in.

Backstrom thought the goal should have been disallowed: “I watched the replay and I was sure it was under me and nobody saw the puck,” he said. “Of course, you’re going to get the puck out from a goalie if you slash at it with your sticks. “That’s a bad goal and we lose a game on that,” added Backstrom, who stopped 32 shots.

Wild coach Jacques Lemaire wasn’t so sure it should’ve counted, either: “I don’t know if he stopped the puck or whether he was right on top of it or if it was under the pad,” Lemaire said. “He waited a bit and they whacked the puck right in.” Final score 2-1 to the Ducks.

Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Niklas Backstrom and Stephane Veilluex are the Wild players remaining from the team that played in this game.

2007/2008: Round 1, Game 1

Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild

6:00 PM ET, March 30, 2008

Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Nov 29, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville on the bench in the third period against the Phoenix Coyotes at the United Center. The Coyotes defeated the Blackhawks 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild entered this series on the back of their 1^st divisional title, where they met a Colorado team that had rallied it’s old stars for one last stab at glory.

The Avs made their early chances count. Kurt Sauer, who scored only once that season, got the first goal. Ryan Smyth followed with a power-play deflection, and the Avs were up 2-0 in the second period with only seven shots on net at that point. Jose Theodore thwarted the Wild at the other end with some huge saves.

The Wild scored twice in the 3^rd to tie-it-up. First Mikko Koivu’s shot from beyond the circle glanced off Finger’s skate, with Brian Rolston parked in front of him, and ricocheted in. Then, with Todd Fedoruk playing the muscle man role on a power play Peter Nummelin made a short pass in front of the net. Fedoruk snagged it, pivoted and with some deft stick work sent the puck past a sprawling Theodore.

The Avs had three chances to win it near the end of regulation. David Jones kicked in a loose puck, which was waved off. Then, Milan Hejduk’s deflection of Chris Finger’s slap shot clanked off the post. Finally, Smyth was awarded a penalty shot with 2:27 remaining following a scrum around the crease, but Backstrom smothered his right-then-left attempt to sneak the puck around his stick.

Joe Sakic scored an NHL record 8^th play-off OT winner, nudging Ruslan Salei’s ricocheted shot from the point past Niklas Backstrom. Jacques Lemaire said he thought his team might have been a bit tired in extra time. He blamed rookie center James Sheppard for leaving the net on the fateful play.

“We know we can play these guys,” Koivu said. “We know it’s going to be tight all the way. That’s how it’s going to be. It’s going to be a fight. Every game, every shift. We just couldn’t finish the way we wanted.” Final score, 3-2 to the Avs.

The Avs coach in this game was, current Chicago Blackhawks coach, Joel Quenneville.

Okay, that’s all for this edition of “Do You Remember The First Time?”. I’ll be back later in the week to look at how the Wild fared in Game 2 of each series. Go Wild!