The winners of the first round of EA Sports' NHL 15 cover vote have been announced, with the final four ready to go head to head for your support.
Read My Choices And Reasoning For THe First Round Of Cover Voting Here
Although my picks in the last round were based on what I'd like to see, it was also more or less what I expected to happen in the voting. EA revealed the winners of the last round following a few lead changes, and all four of my selections moved on to the semi-finals (I know, thank you--save your applause).
You can vote yourself on the game's official site, as well as through Twitter using the hashtag NHL15 followed by the player's last name (#NHL15Oshie, for example).
Check Out The Madden 15 Cover Vote Race
Now with all of that settled, I'll make my case for the selections below:
P.K. Subban vs. Drew Doughty
An attractive matchup between two of the NHL's best young defensemen (25 and 24 years old, respectively) this one is arguable either way based on merit. P.K. Subban may edge Doughty given that he's last year's Norris Trophy winner, but both have contributed to the Conference Final runs of their teams.
I personally give my vote to Subban, if not just because he'd make a great cover athlete. He's already a talking point in the NHL for his effective but controversial playing style, and is a very talented and dynamic defenseman. Doughty is a very good player who was key in the Los Angeles King's Stanley Cup victory two years ago, but Subban is a great fit this year.
Patrice Bergeron vs. T.J. Oshie
If you read my last breakdown, you probably know which way this is going. These are my picks, and though I try to remain somewhat objective for most of them, there is no way I'm not going to put my support behind T.J. Oshie on this one.
Aside from my friends and I having a long-running, half-serious conclusion made that Oshie was going to be the next big thing, he stepped up in a huge way for Team USA at this winter's Olympic Games. America's team may not have gone as far as we'd have liked, but Oshie was phenomenal in the shootout against Russia. After the required number of skaters were used and there was still no winner, Oshie was selected repeatedly and just kept scoring, eventually bringing Team USA the victory (you can watch the awesome performance here).
It was a memorable game and year for him, and he's deserving of the cover for his standout performance (and because I'm American). Sorry Bergeron--as fantastic as you are, it could have been almost anybody on the other side of this matchup. I still would be going with T.J.
