Vote Tim Thomas: A Vote For Montreal

Two seasons past, Canadiens fans embarrassed themselves and their city by voting Mike Komisarek onto the starting lineup of the All-Star Game. Komi was one of four Canadiens voted to the line-up that year, only one was without question deserving.

That same year, Carey Price was voted to the mid-winter "Classic". He was deserving of a look at the time, though perhaps not deserving of eclipsing Tim Thomas in his sensational Vezina campaign.

Well, karma it seems doesn't take kindly to being cheated by Montreal voters. Following their All-Star appearances, Price, Kovalev and Komisarek (the usurpers) all tailed quite drastically. Kovalev was benched; Komisarek managed to use those months to lose the team's and city's confidence, and Carey price couldn't stop a first period shot for a while.

I'm a bit of a superstitious fellow. And to see Carey Price go from second year unquestioned reliability to such depths right after the All-Star game didn't sit well with the less logical of my hemispheres. The moment that sticks is his dismantling at the hands of Blake Wheeler high shots during the All-Rookie game - an effective sign post for the rest of the league.


Here we are again in 2010.

Just today, I was going to write about the blessing in disguise that was Carey Price's omission from the All-Star ballot. It was to be no distractions, no unwanted ego trips and an All-Star appearance that he was set to earn at the behest of the Eastern Conference coaches.

Instead, the afternoon brings news of thousands of Price fans who have so much unbridled passion for this guy that they've been writing in votes for the past 2 weeks.

Price is a most deserving candidate, that's true. And in any other year, he's the most deserving candidate. But this year, Tim Thomas has had a start for the ages. The Vezina winner who never got his start at the game is currently harbouring obscene statistics on his profile page. Yet Thomas sits at third in voting behind two write ins and barely ahead of the undiscerning Pittsburgher choice of Marc-Andre Fleury.

If you vote, rather than priming your pen for paper, I suggest Tim Thomas.

This will be good for karma. It will be good to deflect from the fact that many Montrealers are blatant homers. It will recognize Thomas' standard. And most importantly it will mean that Price, if he is an All-Star will have earned his selection this season.

A vote for Thomas would be doing the Habs a favour in so many ways.


Plekanec write ins

While we're at it. Do people realize that Crosby, Ovechkin and Stamkos have this thing locked up. Not only are they already the fan favourites, they all three are also having amazing starts.

Save your writing hands people. While Pleks must be flattered, he's not one to require this kind affirmation. If he plays like he does, he'll be an All-Star, but not because you voted for him, but rather because he is one of the 9 forwards selected by the coaches.