Mike Green –40 votes

Rick Nash –24 votes

These results were very interesting, as Green received only five more votes in week two versus week one, while Nash (like Lupul and Halak) saw his vote total fall. In this case, perhaps some of the supporters of the week one choices (like Hurricanes Eric Staal and Alex Semin, who combined for 23 week one votes) felt that neither Green nor Nash rose (sunk?) to a level of frustration that merited their vote in this round?

Either way, Green finished with by far the lowest round two vote total, which sets up an all defenseman battle for this week between him and Letang. Maybe I should use this as an excuse to do an actual Cage Match between the two players once the regular column resumes? Let me know your thoughts on that in the comments.

Bracket #4 – The Rest of the Worst

Tobias Enstrom – 16 votes

Marian Gaborik – 48 votes

Like Ward, Gaborik saw his vote total increase significantly from week one to week two, while Enstrom (like Halak) lost a mere one vote. The big question is whether Gaborik, who's emerged from these first two rounds largely untested, will have what it takes to be victorious against Cam Ward this week.

I think a Ward/Gaborik match will be hard to predict, since a goalie against a forward really is an apples vs. oranges type of battle. Plus, some leagues don't even include goalie categories, which might leave Ward at a disadvantage that he didn't have to face in weeks one and two against only other netminders.

Voting Links and Deadline

CLICK HERE to vote in the Kris Letang vs. Mike Green semi-final

CLICK HERE to vote in the Cam Ward vs. Marian Gaborik semi-final

Semi-final voting will close on Monday July 28th, so be sure to vote for all brackets by then! See you next week for Round four – the FINALS!