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February 12, 2008
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is presented
to a deserving recipient on the day before the last
college hockey game of the season. But that doesn’t
mean that college hockey fans, players and media members
don’t think about it all season. Inside College
Hockey's Hobey Tracker looks at the top three candidates
for the award, those whose stock is rising or falling,
and other players worthy of consideration.
The Hobey Tracker will be updated every
other Wednesday morning during the first half of the
season, and every Wedneday morning during the second
half of the season.
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THE
BIG BOARD |
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1.
Kevin Porter
Michigan
Senior | Forward |
To
Date: 25-20—45, 13 PPG, 1 SHG,
4 GWG, +18
The Buzz: Porter regains the
top spot on the strength of his showing in the
Wolverines' win and tie against Miami in Oxford
last weekend. It's more than just scoring that
propels him to pole position, though Porter scored
two goals and an assist in the series. His line
— Porter centers classmate Chad Kolarik
and freshman Max Pacioretty — was dominant
nearly every shift during the weekend, shrugging
off every effort the RedHawks threw their way
to counteract their brilliance.
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2.
Nathan Gerbe
Boston College
Junior | Forward |
To
Date: 22-21—43, 8 PPG, 3 SHG, 4
GWG, +16
The Buzz: Don't fret, Gerbe fans.
As we cautioned to Porter supporters a few weeks
back, the gap between the two top Hobey candidates
is infinitesimal. And while Gerbe notched three
assists and added an empty-net goal in a win against
reeling UMass Friday, Harvard did a terrific job
of neutralizing him in Monday's Beanpot championship
game. It bears noting that Gerbe torched the Crimson
for four goals and an assist when the teams played
in Cambridge two months ago.
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3.
Jean-Philippe Lamoureux
North Dakota
Senior | Goalie |
To
Date: 17-8-2, 1.73 GAA, .934 save pct.,
4 shutouts
The Buzz: After a lengthy absence,
Lamoureux returns to the the Big Board, supplanting
Miami goaltender Jeff Zatkoff. Lamoureux has been
masterful during the Fighting Sioux's current
nine-game unbeaten streak, posting an 8-0-1 record,
a 1.32 goals against average, and a .944 save
percentage during that span. The Hobey race has
been a two-player affair for about a month, but
Lamoureux, the nation's leader in goals against
average and save percentage, can make it a three-man
sprint if he keeps this up.
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| BULL
MARKET |
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Ryan Cruthers
Robert Morris
Senior
Forward
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It's
no longer fair to label Robert Morris senior forward
Ryan Cruthers as a "hidden" or "token"
candidate, because he's proven to be one of the
most consistently excellent point producers in
the nation (18-23–41). Take a glance at
these numbers: Cruthers has 25 points in his last
13 games, recording 10 multiple-point nights in
that span and being kept off the scoresheet just
once. The Colonials are 7-4-2 in those 13 games,
and have moved into a tie for second place with
Niagara in College Hockey America.
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BEAR
MARKET |
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Jeff
Zatkoff
Miami
Senior
Goaltender
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We called
on big performances in big games during recent editions
of the Hobey Tracker, and rewarded Kevin Porter
and slightly penalized Nathan Gerbe for what they
did on a big stage over the weekend. It's only fair
that Zatkoff falls into the Bull Market category
under the same criteria. The RedHawks were playing
their biggest regular-season series in many years
at home against a nationally ranked rival. Fifteen
minutes into the first game, his team was down 4-0.
Sure, Zatkoff didn't get much help, but a few big
saves when your team is struggling gives them a
chance to find their legs. |
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HIDDEN
HOBEY |
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Heralded
freshman
forwards
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The phenomenon
of the highly touted freshman is relatively new
to college hockey (and yes, we recognize our contribution
to its proliferation.) So, too, is the concept of
oversized expectations from these can't-miss kids,
causing some young players to wilt under the pressure.
With that in mind, the contributions of this seasons
crop of marquee forwards have been particularly
impressive. Of the top 16 forwards in INCH's annual
preseason recruiting rankings, eight rank among
the nation's leading rookie point-getters.Two others
— New Hampshire's James vanRiemsdyk and Cornell's
Riley Nash, both first-round NHL draft picks in
2007 — are among the top 12 freshmen in points
per game. |
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