Unlike the Presidential election and last year's "Vote for Rory" scandal, there were no miscalculations this time around.  No illusions, aberrations, or inaccuracies.  The 2008 NHL All-Star Fan Balloting results were as successful as the Winter Classic.  You can't ask for much more for that.

Despite starting the season on a record-tying three-week road trip, and struggling in Oct. with a 3-6-0 record and 3.02 GAA, Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur, received 220,392 votes and easily defeated Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist's 175,350 as the starting goaltender for the east.  For the fourth time in his illustrious Hall-of-Fame bound career, Brodeur will ride the waves as a starter.  This is his 10th appearance overall ( 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007), tied with Lidstrom, who won the election out west (see below).

Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, and Daniel Alfredsson will start at the forward positions, while Andrei Markov and Zdeno Chara will defend the blue line for the Eastern Conference.

In the west, Roberto Luongo, who is arguably the best goaltender in hockey, will start between the pipes for the second straight year.

Maybe, call this game East vs. Detroit.  Three Red Wings were selected by fans to start this year.  Two of them are among eight first-time starters.

Red Wings's Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will start alongside Jarome Iginla.  Detroit's Niklas Lidstrom will complement Dion Phaneuf on defense.

Several Devils missed the cut this year.  Patrik Elias, who started heating up recently, struggled in the first half and only received 47,000 votes.  Only 20,000 fans voted for Brian Gionta.  I wonder how many would have tallied for Zach Parise (not on ballot), who leads the Devils with 16 goals and 22 assists.

Similarly, Lundqvist was the only member of the NY Rangers to make the roster this year, and rightfully so.  Through the first two months, he went 14-9-1 with a 1.82 goals against (unofficially), .930SV% and four shutouts.  He allowed two goals or less 16 times in 23 games.  However, he has struggled recently with a 3.11 goals against last month and has allowed 10 goals in three January decisions (0-2-1).

After a rough start in which he went 3-6-0 with a 3.02 GAA, Brodeur turned things around in a hurry.  He finished Nov. at 8-4-1 and allowed 23 goals in 13 games.  His success continued with a 2.13GAA, .920SV% and 8-3-1 mark in Dec.  He also earned career shutout No. 96 (sole possession of second place) and win No. 500 earlier this season, and is on pace to break Patrick Roy's 551 record.  After last night's 2-1 shootout win, Brodeur now has 516 wins, and 96 shutouts, which is seven away from tying Terry Sawchuk all-time record of 103.

There are no complaints about Crosby starting again this year.  He is the reigning league MVP and a force to be reckoned with.  Although the Lightning are in last place, Levacalier has done everything he can to get them out of the cellar.  He has a league-leading 63 points and is projected to top last year's 108-point season with 120 points.  Fans are furious that Alfredsson is their starting linemate.

I personally like Alfredsson and what he brings to the table, but Kovalchuk and Ovechkin are well-liked by the youth and have scored dazzling jaw-dropping goals to prove their case.

And, fact is they may not start with Crosby, who leads the league in assists (41), the two Eastern Conference coaches John Paddock of Ottawa and New Jersey's
Brent Sutter will surely give them ice time together.  I hope so anyway.

Surprisingly (or not), Paddock and Sutter are in their first year at the helm.

"The league chooses its coaches based on the teams from each conference that have the top points percentages through games of Jan. 4, the midway point of the regular-season."

Detroit head coach Mike Babcock and San Jose Sharks coach Ron Wilson will manage the western team.

The Red Wings lead in goals scored, fewest goals allowed, shots on goal per game, fewest shots on goal per game allowed, and have the second best power play in the league.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk are 7th and 8th in scoring.  Lidstrom and Rafalski, who received the sixth most votes, rank one-two statistically among defensemen.

I’d say the Red Wings made the right decision to sign Rafalski, formerly with the Devils, to a five-year deal worth $30 million.  He has certainly lived up to his end of the expensive bargain so far.

However, many other hockey players have underchieved after they signed with new organizations in the offseason.

Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Jason Blake, Ryan Smyth.  I can keep going.

Others like Patrik Elias and Marian Gaborik were called out for poor work ethics.

While Elias lost his “C” earlier this year, Gaborik was recently chided to work harder by head coach Jacque Lemaire, who knows a thing or two about success.

Starters:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Sidney Crosby (2nd)
Vincent Lecavalier (3rd)
Daniel Alfredsson (5th)
Zdeno Chara (3rd)
Andrei Markov (1st)
Martin Brodeur (10th)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Henrik Zetterberg (2nd)
Pavel Datsyuk (2nd)
Jarome Iginla (4th)
Dion Phaneuf (2nd)
Nicklas Lidstrom (10th)
Roberto Luongo (3rd)

Tallies:

Eastern Conference Goaltenders

Eastern Conference Forwards

* write-in candidate

Eastern Conference Defensemen

Western Conference Goaltenders

Western Conference Forwards

* write-in candidate

Western Conference Defensemen

Courtesy of NHL.com

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