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Drew Doughty Named Norris Finalist for Third Time

I suppose today’s awards announcement isn’t as newsworthy as the last two days of awards announcements for the Los Angeles Kings, because this one was a lock. Drew Doughty is a Norris Trophy finalist for the second straight year.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you already knew that Doughty and Erik Karlsson were going to be two of the finalists for the Norris, awarded annually to the league’s best defenseman. And if you watched any of the Kings’ playoff games (or most of the regular season ones), you won’t be surprised to see the third name: Brent Burns, the bearded one. His nod wasn’t a lock, but after the number of shots he took and the way in which he ceased to be a defensive liability this season, it makes sense.

Again, though, this one will likely be a two-man race. We covered all the angles (because, yes, there are other factors besides the number of points you score) right here. Karlsson obviously had a historic season, but from the media’s various takes over the last couple months, it sounds like a toss-up. Guess we wait and see whether Doughty wins on his third try; in addition to last year’s runner-up finish, he finished third in 2010.

Three awards categories, three finalists so far for the Kings. Good show.

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