Jamie Benn Wins 2014-2015 Art Ross Trophy

[Cult of Hynes]

The poster you responded to obviously meant weak in terms of quality, not in terms of excitement.

Quality? yea, because the guys that were in the running werent some of the best players in the league. please.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Didn't realize there was such a hate on for Benn. He's got a hot head but he's the best LW in the game, well deserved.

Alexander Ovechkin is the best LW in the game. He also has an argument to be the best LW in the history of the game BTW.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Jamie Benn winning the art Ross makes me so happy

 

[livewell68]

Alexander Ovechkin is the best LW in the game. He also has an argument to be the best LW in the history of the game BTW.

No he doesn't. That distinction comfortably goes to Bobby Hull and Ted Lindsay still owns the 3rd spot.

Also historically, LW has been the weakest position so comparing him to centers and RW's (if those players aren't top 5) isn't necessarily fair either.

 

[Czech Your Math]

Jamie Benn didn't lead the league in scoring at all between games 1 through 81 (the first player in NHL history)... and then seized the trophy with a little help from his friends.

He wasn't even in second place until there was only one game left.

He wasn't even in third place until there were two games left.

9 players held the lead at some point in the season, topping the 8 players in '98.

Only twice was there a margin of more than 3 points: thru 13 games (5 points) and thru 75 games (4 points).

Average margin at any time was ~1.1 points, about half of the previous low in '04.

The lead was cursed this year:

- Tavares had a share of the lead thru 4 games, then scored 18 points in 28 games.

- Crosby led thru 22 games, then had 5 point in 12 games and missed 3 games in between.

- Voracek led thru 34 games, then had 23 points in 38 games.

- Seguin had a share of the lead thru 53 games, then scored 3 points in 7 games and missed 10 games in between.

- Kane led thru 56 games, then scored 1 point in 5 games and missed the final 21 games.

- Backstrom had a share of the lead thru 60 games, but scored 14 points in his final 22 games.

- Malkin led thru 64 games, then scored 5 point in 10 games and missed 8 games in between.

Benn was smart to wait until the final game to lead.

Truly remarkable race!

 

[Fantomas]

No he doesn't. That distinction comfortably goes to Bobby Hull and Ted Lindsay still owns the 3rd spot.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1739023

 

[livewell68]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1739023

Ovechkin is well behind Bobby Hull on that list though and as I said, there is an argument to be made for Lindsay over Ovechkin (as they are 7th and 8th respectively) but there is absolutely no argument for Ovechkin over Bobby Hull.

Ovechkin will have a hard time getting into the top 5 best wingers ever.

Howe, Hull, Jagr, Richard and Lafleur are comfortable where they are.

 

[solidmotion]

He wasn't even in second place until there was only one game left.

He wasn't even in third place until there were two games left.

9 players held the lead at some point in the season, topping the 8 players in '98.

Only twice was there a margin of more than 3 points: thru 13 games (5 points) and thru 75 games (4 points).

Average margin at any time was ~1.1 points, about half of the previous low in '04.

The lead was cursed this year:

- Tavares had a share of the lead thru 4 games, then scored 18 points in 28 games.

- Crosby led thru 22 games, then had 5 point in 12 games and missed 3 games in between.

- Voracek led thru 34 games, then had 23 points in 38 games.

- Seguin had a share of the lead thru 53 games, then scored 3 points in 7 games and missed 10 games in between.

- Kane led thru 56 games, then scored 1 point in 5 games and missed the final 21 games.

- Backstrom had a share of the lead thru 60 games, but scored 14 points in his final 22 games.

- Malkin led thru 64 games, then scored 5 point in 10 games and missed 8 games in between.

Benn was smart to wait until the final game to lead.

Truly remarkable race!

this is very interesting

 

[Boxscore]

He wasn't even in second place until there was only one game left.

He wasn't even in third place until there were two games left.

9 players held the lead at some point in the season, topping the 8 players in '98.

Only twice was there a margin of more than 3 points: thru 13 games (5 points) and thru 75 games (4 points).

Average margin at any time was ~1.1 points, about half of the previous low in '04.

The lead was cursed this year:

- Tavares had a share of the lead thru 4 games, then scored 18 points in 28 games.

- Crosby led thru 22 games, then had 5 point in 12 games and missed 3 games in between.

- Voracek led thru 34 games, then had 23 points in 38 games.

- Seguin had a share of the lead thru 53 games, then scored 3 points in 7 games and missed 10 games in between.

- Kane led thru 56 games, then scored 1 point in 5 games and missed the final 21 games.

- Backstrom had a share of the lead thru 60 games, but scored 14 points in his final 22 games.

- Malkin led thru 64 games, then scored 5 point in 10 games and missed 8 games in between.

Benn was smart to wait until the final game to lead.

Truly remarkable race!

Great breakdown. It really was anyone's to grab. Benn just had a monster performance in the final game. Kudos to him.

 

[sr edler]

Benn looked like a boss on that first goal.

Good for him.

 

[beowulf]

Pretty amazing for a 5th rounder!

 

[Moops]

Quality? yea, because the guys that were in the running werent some of the best players in the league. please.

"Quality" defined in terms of how they did this season, in the context of this particular race. Not overall talent level. Nobody had a great season in terms of point production. A bunch of guys had a season worthy of a 5th-10th place finish in the Ross race. They all had very good seasons and Jamie Benn is to be commended, but he also had incredibly good timing to have his career season during a historically bad year in terms of standout forwards.

IOW, the Art Ross went to a player that quite verifiably did not have an Art Ross-worthy season. It was exciting, but to me it doesn't take anything away from Benn's season if you were to subtract 1 or 2 points from his total.

To be fair, this could be the start of a new trend of 90-ish point Ross winners. If that's the case then I would look back upon Jamie Benn's season as more of a Hall-worthy accomplishment and less of a "hey that guy was > PPG, extremely solid, no?"

 

[tony d]

Congrats to Benn. Unexpected but great nonetheless.

 

[Fantomas]

Ovechkin is well behind Bobby Hull on that list though and as I said, there is an argument to be made for Lindsay over Ovechkin.

LOL, that's not what you said.

 

[Purity*]

I didn't think he'd get any hate whatsoever for winning the Art Ross but I guess i was wrong

What a spectacular player. A 200 ft. game that's easily comparable with the best 2-way players in the game, awesome physical game and he's proven that he can score at a PPG+ clip.

Dallas seriously needs to find some defensemen to help this man out.

 

[HighAndTight]

Can't believe a guy from my home town won the scoring race.

Is it actually true he's the only BC born and raised player to win the Art Ross?

 

[Moops]

I didn't think he'd get any hate whatsoever for winning the Art Ross but I guess i was wrong

What a spectacular player. A 200 ft. game that's easily comparable with the best 2-way players in the game, awesome physical game and he's proven that he can score at a PPG+ clip.

Dallas seriously needs to find some defensemen to help this man out.

Indeed, he's a terrific player to build around.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Pretty amazing for a 5th rounder!

Since the introduction of the NHL entry draft, I think Benn's the lowest-drafted player to ever win the award.

Of course, that's besides Martin St. Louis....and another player whose name escapes me right now.

Can't believe a guy from my home town won the scoring race.

Is it actually true he's the only BC born and raised player to win the Art Ross?

Looks like it.

Only other winner from Western Canada is Iginla, I think.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

There are quite a few from Saskatchewan - Gordie Howe, Bryan Trottier, Elmer Lach, Max Bentley (led NHL in scoring pre Art Ross trophy), Doug Bentley (same). One winner each from BC (Jamie Benn) and Alberta (Jarome Iginla). Technically nobody has won the Art Ross from Manitoba, but Andy Bathgate tied for the scoring led but lost the Art Ross due to the tie-breaker.

 

[WingsFan95]

Benn shouldn't be getting so much hate but the issue is that with such low scoring, there's more of a luck factor in who gets the win than who honestly deserved it. Course I think none of these top guys deserved it this year. Sub 90 is pathetic whatever era you're playing in (Mikita played only 72 games when he registered 87).

We'll see if he ever leads the league again but this is like Rick Nash "winning" the Rocket.