With the trade deadline and Oscar season just around the corner
I thought it would be apt to do a post on whom the ``Best Picture`` Nominees of
the NHL season so far would be:
The Artist – Steven Stamkos currently leads the NHL with 39 goals. Watching him tee it up on the PP is a thing of beauty. However, his art work is hidden by the neon glow of the Lightning`s horrid season.
The Descendants – I could
have went a lot of ways on this, but let’s talk about the son paying for the
sins of the father. Pierre Gauthier walked into one of the worst situations in
the NHL. It was Gainey who brought Gomez, Cammalleri, Gionta and gave away some
of their better prospects. Pierre Gauthier has only signed Erik Cole and
Campoli and traded for Lars Eller, Dustin Boyd and Kaberle.
I think Gauthier has the potential to be one of the best GMs
once he gets out from under Gainey's mess, which could be another three years.
Odds are the impatient and Hab fans won`t allow that. They prefer heads to be
rolling as they continue their spiral into irrelevance (see 1970s Yankees).
The two other teams he has been the GM of was the Senator team
that made the playoffs for 10 straight years and went to the Cup Finals. The
other team was the Ducks that beat the Sens. He laid the ground work that
allowed Murray to win the Cup there. Too
bad Montreal won`t let it happen. Perhaps he would fair better in Columbus. (Note: This film was just edged out by Midnight in Paris for my favorite film of the year. It is probably a much better made movie, with remarkable performances and writing that is genuinely gut-wrenching at times. If you haven't seen it please give it shot with an open-mind. Put yourself in Clooney's shoes and you are in for a treat).
Extremely Loud &
Incredibly Close – It
doesn`t matter where you go in the NHL. You will always see or here Brian Burke.
For better or worse. Blustery McLiar is sadly one of the biggest “personalities”
in the game.
In addition to being loud B2 is also incredibly close to having his Maple Leaf's make the playoffs which could knock the earth off its axis if it were to happen.
Interestingly this is the movie that interests me the least of all the nominees.
The Help – Henrik Sedin has led the NHL in assists
for the past two years now and is gunning for his third. He is on pace to play
in every game, again, for the sixth straight year.
Hugo – For
this one to work you need to understand the context of the film. “Hugo is an orphan boy living in the walls
of a train station in the 1930s in Paris. He fixes clocks and other gadgets as
he learned to from his father and uncle. The only thing that he has left that
connects him to his father is an automaton that doesn't work; Hugo has to find
its heart-shaped key.”
Ken Hitchcock had a change of heart two years ago. He rebuilt
himself from the inside out to better relate and communicate with players. He
took the job in St. Louis and has led them to the best winning percentage since
the day he was hired. Ken is Hugo.
Midnight in Paris – Again it doesn’t make sense unless you
have seen the film. A quick overview suggests, “A writer visits Paris with his fiancé
and her parents. He longs for 1920s Paris with all of his heros lived and ruled
the day. The film questions was it better back then or is it a human flaw to
constantly long for a time before our own.” Ray Whitney put the ‘Yotes on his
back and is doing his own midnight runs in Paris. That is to say he has made
the league feel like it did 10 years ago when he was racking up 76 points with
the Blue Jackets. Interestingly, the least impressive part of this film, that I love, is an actress that I adore. Rachel McAdams is wasted in this movie which is interesting seeing as Woody Allen reportedly wrote the role for her.
Moneyball – This is a very easy
one for me. It is the simply the entire Central Division. This division is led
by the Nashville Predators who are currently spending $722,449 salary per point
in the standings. The best in the league. However, the frugal St. Louis Blues
are second overall at $786,527 per point with their rivals Detroit Red Wings holding
on to third with $812,662 and the Chicago Blackhawks are 9th with $907,272
salary per point. Talk about efficiency and success. The Preds have the third
lowest payroll in the NHL, but are looking at another playoff run. None of the
other teams are even in the top half of the league in payroll. For a point of
contrast the only team that is in the top half of the league in payroll is Columbus
Blue Jackets. Tragically, or hilariously, they are dead last in salary spent
per point at $1,746,500.
Sadly the highlight of the season so far for the CBJ fanbase.
The Tree of Life - The
impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life
journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his
disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship
with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking
answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of
faith. Rick Nash always wanted to make things work in Columbus. He has been the
good soldier. However, he is now questioning his faith. Rumour is he is hoping
for a trade, the Jackets are trying to facilitate it. However, how long can
Columbus survive without a legitimate superstar AND not winning. Perhaps we’ll
find out.
War Horse – PavelDatsyuk gets the nod here. He is the only Wing in the top 35 in league scoring.
While injuries and mediocre performances (obviously not including Jimmy Howard
or Nicklas Lidstrom) should have slowed the Wings, it hasn’t been the case. They currently lead the league in points and
have set an NHL record for consecutive home wins.
What do you think? Did I miss a tap-in or did I bang in a goal to complete the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Let me know!
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