The NHL announced its awards finalists on Tuesday, and San Jose's Joe Thornton wasn't nominated for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
That might have been different if the Detroit Red Wings had a vote, especially after the first three games of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Sharks.
"To me, he's the best player in the league,'' Wings center Kris Draper said of the imposing 6-foot-4, 235-pound center who was so difficult to contain during San Jose's 2-1 victory in Game 3 Monday. "Big, strong, takes the puck to the net, the passes he makes. He's doing it all right now,'' Draper said. "He's definitely a threat every time he's on the ice. And for the guys that play against him, whether it's my line or (Henrik Zetterberg's) line, you take a lot of pride just trying to win as many battles against him as you can.''
Thornton was the main reason the Sharks dominated the second half of Game 3. The Wings, trailing the series 2-1, must do a better job of keeping the puck away from him or taking away his time and space when he has it tonight in a crucial Game 4 at the HP Pavilion.
"We have to do a better job of handling him,'' Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "How do you do that? Win face-offs, so you have the puck. Get to him quick, limit his time and space as much as you can. Can't give him second opportunities, you got to out-will him on that puck. Right now, he's playing as hard as I've seen him play.''
He's had to, because he's not getting much help from some of the team's other top forwards. Patrick Marleau and Bill Guerin each have no points in the series and Milan Michalek has only one assist. The Sharks have scored only six goals in the series.
Detroit, which has scored only four goals in three games, is hoping to get a boost tonight with the return of Tomas Holmstrom, who'll reassume his spot on the top line with Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, as well as his net-front post on the No. 1 power play unit. The Wings went 1-for-10 on the power play in the first three games of the series while Holmstrom recovered from his eye injury.
"He's such a great player screening the goalie, going in front of the net, creating traffic,'' Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We need him back. ''
They also need more output from that top line, which hasn't produced a point in four road playoff games. Holmstrom has gone five games without a point, since picking up an assist in the playoff opener.
Thornton's reputation for disappearing in the playoffs earlier in his career with Boston seems like ancient history now.
"He's been leading the charge for us, not just the way he's been playing, but emotionally, too,'' Guerin said.
The Wings and, in particular, Lidstrom did an excellent job defending another top forward, Calgary's Jarome Iginla, in the first round. Thornton, in many ways, is more difficult to deal with because he does what the Wings pride themselves in doing -- controlling the puck.
"When he gets the puck down low, he's big and strong and he can take it to the net, and he has great vision to find guys,'' Draper said. "You have one opportunity to get the puck out and you have to do that. If you have the opportunity to make him go back in his end and go 200 feet, those are the things you have to do.''
That might have been different if the Detroit Red Wings had a vote, especially after the first three games of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series against the Sharks.
"To me, he's the best player in the league,'' Wings center Kris Draper said of the imposing 6-foot-4, 235-pound center who was so difficult to contain during San Jose's 2-1 victory in Game 3 Monday. "Big, strong, takes the puck to the net, the passes he makes. He's doing it all right now,'' Draper said. "He's definitely a threat every time he's on the ice. And for the guys that play against him, whether it's my line or (Henrik Zetterberg's) line, you take a lot of pride just trying to win as many battles against him as you can.''
Thornton was the main reason the Sharks dominated the second half of Game 3. The Wings, trailing the series 2-1, must do a better job of keeping the puck away from him or taking away his time and space when he has it tonight in a crucial Game 4 at the HP Pavilion.
"We have to do a better job of handling him,'' Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "How do you do that? Win face-offs, so you have the puck. Get to him quick, limit his time and space as much as you can. Can't give him second opportunities, you got to out-will him on that puck. Right now, he's playing as hard as I've seen him play.''
He's had to, because he's not getting much help from some of the team's other top forwards. Patrick Marleau and Bill Guerin each have no points in the series and Milan Michalek has only one assist. The Sharks have scored only six goals in the series.
Detroit, which has scored only four goals in three games, is hoping to get a boost tonight with the return of Tomas Holmstrom, who'll reassume his spot on the top line with Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, as well as his net-front post on the No. 1 power play unit. The Wings went 1-for-10 on the power play in the first three games of the series while Holmstrom recovered from his eye injury.
"He's such a great player screening the goalie, going in front of the net, creating traffic,'' Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We need him back. ''
They also need more output from that top line, which hasn't produced a point in four road playoff games. Holmstrom has gone five games without a point, since picking up an assist in the playoff opener.
Thornton's reputation for disappearing in the playoffs earlier in his career with Boston seems like ancient history now.
"He's been leading the charge for us, not just the way he's been playing, but emotionally, too,'' Guerin said.
The Wings and, in particular, Lidstrom did an excellent job defending another top forward, Calgary's Jarome Iginla, in the first round. Thornton, in many ways, is more difficult to deal with because he does what the Wings pride themselves in doing -- controlling the puck.
"When he gets the puck down low, he's big and strong and he can take it to the net, and he has great vision to find guys,'' Draper said. "You have one opportunity to get the puck out and you have to do that. If you have the opportunity to make him go back in his end and go 200 feet, those are the things you have to do.''
