Race for “Rocket” Richard
Towards the end of the 2009/2010 NHL season there were three players vying for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy. Those three were Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. In the end it would be Crosby and Stamkos who would share the trophy, with 51 goals each. The first time the trophy had been shared in its history. Ovechkin only just missed out on his third Richard trophy in as many years by one goal, finishing on 50 for the season. Last season's winners have shown no signs that they are going to let their grip on the trophy weaken. Obviously not content with sharing the trophy the last time out, Crosby and Stamkos have been on fire this season, each hitting 21 goals after 27 and 26 games respectively. They are on target to score well over 60 goals each. If they managed to do so, they would be only the second and third players to manage that feat in the history of the Richard trophy. Ovechkin is currently no-where to be seen and lies in 27th place with only 10 goals. However, while his goal scoring has been unusually low, his 23 assists do put him in 3rd place overall in points. Crosby has been improving every year since his debut in the 2005/2006 season. Last year marked the first time he had scored over 50 goals in a single season and at only 23 years old, one can only imagine how many more personal records he will break as his career goes on. His all round game is virtually flawless and he isn't selfish either, creating more goals for his teammates, in all of his NHL seasons, than he scores himself. Sid “The Kid” has already won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal and, of course, the "Rocket" Richard trophy. He has achieved in his early career what most players will never achieve in their entire careers.
Stamkos is three years younger than Crosby and scored his 51 goals in only his second season in the NHL. One could also argue that he plays on a less skillful team than Pittsburgh which further augments his ability. The possibility that Steven Stamkos could have two "Rocket" Richard Trophies by the time he is 21 years old is insane. Stamkos' game may not be as well rounded as Crosby's, the former does not seem to create as many goals for his teammates like Crosby does, but he does seem to be more lethal when he shoots. Stamkos finds the net with 21.6% of his shots while Crosby is currently converting 20% of his shots into goals. With both players coring at an identical rate, who knows, perhaps they will share the trophy again. The other runners for the Richard trophy at this point are Alexander Semin, with 18 goals and Patrick Sharp with 16 goals. Daniel Sedin sits in 5th place for goals with 14, seven goals away from the top two. Of course, whether or not Crosby and Stamkos can score goals at the same rate for the entire season remains to be seen, but they both have the talent to do it.
By: James Tennant > Find all of the NHL news & articles online from Pro Hockey Fans. |
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