Boston Bruins Bruins Announce 2019-20 Season Awards

Fenway

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talkinaway

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Mar 19, 2014
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7th Player Award?

The sponsors, Law Tigers, said it'll be announced at the first game of the round robin. On the one hand, what better way to make that game a "home game" than by having an announcement and presentation for the Seventh Player Award? Probably with a remote cam on the jumbotron for whoever won the Harley. On the other hand, I'm sure there's a contingency for if this thing doesn't get off the ground...and it seems weird to hold back that ONE award and just go ahead with all the others.
 

McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
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The sponsors, Law Tigers, said it'll be announced at the first game of the round robin. On the one hand, what better way to make that game a "home game" than by having an announcement and presentation for the Seventh Player Award? Probably with a remote cam on the jumbotron for whoever won the Harley. On the other hand, I'm sure there's a contingency for if this thing doesn't get off the ground...and it seems weird to hold back that ONE award and just go ahead with all the others.
I just hope they give the shirts off their back to cardboard cutouts of people
 

McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
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Who did we think was 7th player this year? Did we even discuss it?

I don't know if it was discussed. I know people seem to shit on it when a star player gets voted for, but by definition of going above and beyond expectations, Pasta has a legitimate claim. We expect great things, but taking that leap, winning the Rocket Richard and becoming an absolute elite winger in the league this year, that's above and beyond for sure.

I don't see anyone with a much better case. Gryz would be another possibility, but he didn't do anything as spectacular as Pasta this year. You could also say that Chara has gone beyond what we expect out of a 42-year old. But I think it's Pasta.
 
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talkinaway

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Mar 19, 2014
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I'm one who always whines that 7th Player is technically supposed to be for "exceeding expectation", and not supposed to be a "best player" or "most popular with teenagers who vote for this the same way they vote for American Idol". But I do think Pasta's got a legitimate claim here. He had a 50+* goal season, and was arguably on the best line in hockey. NESN made an hour-long show of his goals. Did I think he might hit 50 at the start of the season? Maybe, but I wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't hit it. Did I think he might win the Rocket? Not really.

I mean, I even joked about it at the start of the season, because he was always on top of the stats at the start of the season after his Joe Thornton hat trick...and I joked because I wasn't used to the Bruins having any skin in the Rocket race, and I wasn't sure if it would stick. Well, joke's on me - give him the 7th player, IMO.

I think Chara's in the discussion too. He's got 1,000 games here, is the oldest player in the league, and is STILL our #1 D. And we'll be in good shape when he retires specifically because he's mentored Carlo and McAvoy. The bar's high, and I guess we do expect that of Z, but in another universe, we could easily be saying "Z is declining - we all sort of saw this one coming, it was just a matter of when."
 

Aussie Bruin

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Aug 3, 2019
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I'm one who always whines that 7th Player is technically supposed to be for "exceeding expectation", and not supposed to be a "best player" or "most popular with teenagers who vote for this the same way they vote for American Idol". But I do think Pasta's got a legitimate claim here. He had a 50+* goal season, and was arguably on the best line in hockey. NESN made an hour-long show of his goals. Did I think he might hit 50 at the start of the season? Maybe, but I wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't hit it. Did I think he might win the Rocket? Not really.

I mean, I even joked about it at the start of the season, because he was always on top of the stats at the start of the season after his Joe Thornton hat trick...and I joked because I wasn't used to the Bruins having any skin in the Rocket race, and I wasn't sure if it would stick. Well, joke's on me - give him the 7th player, IMO.

I think Chara's in the discussion too. He's got 1,000 games here, is the oldest player in the league, and is STILL our #1 D. And we'll be in good shape when he retires specifically because he's mentored Carlo and McAvoy. The bar's high, and I guess we do expect that of Z, but in another universe, we could easily be saying "Z is declining - we all sort of saw this one coming, it was just a matter of when."

The thing about Chara is he has declined, but it's probably been by only 5% or so from his peak and then he's spent the last 3-4 years maintained that slightly reduced level. He's changed his game to compensate for his reduced mobility - if you compare him now to 10 years ago he's less adventurous and dynamic on offense and more compact in how he plays D - and has found a way to remain an incredibly effective player while playing a more muted, slower style.

I think 5 things have allowed him to maintain his longevity: his height and reach, which along with fine stick work for a man of his size give him an ability to compete with faster, more nimble opponents; his intelligence and game-awareness, which are second-to-none; his ridiculous level of fitness and low frequency of injuries; near-total lack of ego, which has allowed him to accept the changes to his style necessitated by ageing; and having an ideal partner in McAvoy who is young and athletic enough to add the more mobile element to their pairing but also wise beyond his years in being able to most of the time account for Chara's undoubted limitations.

I don't think he'll come into 7th player considerations because he's not the sort that the award usually skews towards, but he's had another very very solid season, no question. I don't know if he exceeded expectations so much as he just again confounded the usually inevitable march of time and physical decay. At 42 years-of-age he just posted his best +/- for a season (26) since 2011-12. Remarkable.
 

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