Top Shelf – Islanders Daily 6/15/13

April 11, 2013; Boston, MA USA; New York Islanders left wing

(26) tries to gain control of a pass during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Astoria, NY – New York Islanders’ left wing Matt Moulson was denied the NHL’s Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the second time in as many years, as Tampa Bay winger Martin St. Louis won the award for the third time in his career.

St. Louis led the league with 60 points and 43 assists, while only recording 14 penalty minutes during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 NHL season.

Moulson failed to win the trophy despite receiving the highest number of total votes among the three finalists; his 125 votes were six more than St. Louis and 10 more than runner-up Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Moulson earned 35 first-place votes and 750 total points, while Kane received 44 first-place votes and 785 points. St. Louis topped all players with 47 first-place votes and 824 points.

It was likely Moulson’s lack of scoring in comparison to that of Kane and St. Louis that kept him from winning the NHL’s award for sportsmanship. Moulson scored at a rate of 0.94 points-per-game, fewer than Kane’s 1.17 PPG and St. Louis’s 1.25 PPG.

Despite the disappointment at missing out on being named the NHL’s most gentlemanly player, Moulson still had a great season for the Isles. He notched 15 goals and 29 assists in 47 games played, while recording 154 shots on goal—the second highest total on the team to John Tavares’s 162.

All in all, Moulson’s development within the Islanders’ system has been steady and has earned him national recognition from the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. With a full 2013-14 season to look forward to, expect him to be among the team’s leaders in nearly every statistical category next year.

-MW

Links

Summer Report Card: Matt Martin (EyesOnIsles)

Islanders Must Demonstrate Patience, Find Top Defenseman From Within (Isles Optimism)

Penguins, Malkin Commit to Each Other (ESPN)

Last Chance to Win a LG Electronics 42-inch LED TV From FanSided and Eyes On Isles (EyesOnIsles)

Floating Around The Twitter-Sphere

Reaction from the Twitter faithful was, at best, tepid regarding the first round of NHL awards announcements last night. With the winners of the Calder, Norris, Vezina and Hart trophies slated to be officially announced tonight, I’m not holding out hope that the awards “show” will be an engaging affair. At least NHL fans have Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals to keep them on the edge of their seats.

Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean won the NHL’s Jack Adams award, given annually to the head coach who contributes the most to his team’s success. MacLean is certainly deserving of the award, after having led an injury plagued Senators team to the Eastern Conference semifinals. With the extended absences of players like Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek—to name only a few—MacLean’s coaching skills were put to the test this season. (As a side note, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano received five first-place votes for the award. Not bad for a guy who was on the chopping block not two seasons ago.)

Mark your calendars, fellow NHL fans: the MLB All Star Game is Tuesday, July 16; expect next season’s NHL schedule to hit the interwebs at approximately the same time. The EyesOnIsles staff members—and Islanders fans everywhere—have their red markers poised and ready to circle January 29, when the Isles will take on the New York Rangers outdoors at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Another reason to loathe the NHL offseason: ESPN doesn’t even have to pretend that hockey—or other sports, for that matter—exist anymore. Prepare yourselves for 24/7 coverage of NFL minicamps, courtesy of the Worldwide Leader in Sports once the Stanley Cup finals have concluded. In fact, make that 25/8 coverage of NFL minicamps, courtesy of the Tim Tebow Network.

Last Night In The NHL

In addition to the Lady Byng and Jack Adams trophies being awarded last night, the winners of the Selke Trophy (Jonathan Toews, CHI), the NHL GM of the Year (Ray Shero, PIT), the Bill Masterson Trophy (Josh Harding, MIN), the NHL Foundation Player Award (Henrik Zetterberg, DET) and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Patrice Bergeron, BOS) were named by the league.

It wasn’t the most inspiring awards “ceremony” in history—a result of the condensed NHL season due to the lockout. In fact, it wasn’t technically a ceremony at all. The league announced the award winners via TV special since it couldn’t coordinate an official ceremony after hammering out an eleventh-hour CBA with the NHLPA in January.

Not thrilled by the announcement of the first round of NHL award winners? Understandable. Here’s a preview of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals to get you amped up for tonight’s tilt between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Enjoy…

As always, thanks for reading us at EyesOnIsles. Keep it right here for all of your NHL playoff coverage and Isles offseason news. Be sure to check the menu bar at the top of the page for ways to connect with the EyesOnIsles staff; we’re always happy to talk hockey.