Bruce Boudreau Has A Point

As an admitted Alex Ovechkin fanatic, I was appalled by his omission from the All-Star Game's starting lineup as the second leading scorer in the league. Not because Evgeni Malkin (NHL's leading scorer) and Sidney Crosby (3rd in scoring) were not deserving, but because Alexei Kovalev (T-69th in scoring) is not.

Washington Capitals' head coach Bruce Boudreau said as much, saying that "if it went on merit," Ovechkin would be a starter. It's also true that if it went on merit, Kovalev would be a starter as well--albeit last year, perhaps. Or maybe eight years ago.

The All-Star voting is a sham. Four Montreal Canadiens cracked the starting lineup thanks largely to what must be chalked up to voter fraud, and only two--goaltender Carey Price and defenseman Andrei Markov--have a case to be there.

But even that case is weak. Where was Mark Streit from the Island, the NHL's leading scorer among defensemen? Or maybe Boston's Dennis Wideman, league leader in plus/minus (and perhaps the most telling mark of a defenseman)? Or maybe Mike Green from Washington, with just one point less than Markov and a higher plus/minus?

In Price's case, a 2.30 GAA and a .921 save percentage are nothing to sneeze at, by all accounts a tremendous, All-Star season. But several other goaltenders have had better seasons in a similar amount of games. Tim Thomas, above all, deserves to be starting this game after the year he's had in Beantown. But the Devils' Scott Clemmenson (er, Martin Brodeur Jr.) and Florida's Craig Anderson each have better numbers in a comparable number of games. Price's numbers are outstanding, but in this, the apparent Year of the Goaltender, without the starting nod he might not have made the game at all.

The All-Star Game is hardly relevant and the fan vote doesn't make people care any more or less. It's time that the NHL takes the fans out of it and focuses on naming the 12 most deserving players to the starting lineup, and the 42 best players to the game. Alexei Kovalev playing in this game does nothing but rob one deserving player from the honor he deserves. All-Star seasons, for many, do not happen every year.

Let's hope that the All-Star reserves manage to make up for the travesty that was this year's fan voting.