It is often said the Conn Smythe Trophy winner gets the award based mostly on what he does in the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That will likely be the case this season.
In terms of offence nobody has really jumped out to take a commanding hold on the award for most valuable player in the post-season. In fact, even though the Philadelphia Flyers only participated in two rounds, Claude Giroux of the Flyers still leads the playoffs in scoring – and he missed a game because he was suspended. Not only that, Giroux and teammate Danny Briere are tied for the lead in goals with eight apiece.
Here are this week’s Top 5 candidates for the Conn Smythe Trophy:
JONATHAN QUICK, G, LOS ANGELES KINGS: Many have the image of Quick allowing that long shot by Derek Morris to skip past him etched in their minds, but that is not an accurate reflection of the quality of his work in the playoffs. Despite that one, he continues to lead all stoppers in goals-against average (1.54), save percentage (.949) and wins (12). He also has two shutouts. To ultimately win the Conn Smythe he may have to ratchet his game up a bit in the final.
ANZE KOPITAR, C, LOS ANGELES KINGS: After having his six-game points streak snapped in Game 4 against Phoenix, ironically a game his team lost, Kopitar connected for a goal in Game 5 and now has 11 points in his past eight games. The 6-foot-3 and 225-pound Slovenian continues to prove he is every bit the leader his North American-born teammates are and his two shorthanded goals are a solid indication that he can be counted on in defensive situations, too.
MARTIN BRODEUR, G, NEW JESREY DEVILS: For the veteran Brodeur, it is not about putting up sterling individual numbers anymore – it’s all about wins. And the fact he has 11 and is one more away from vaulting his team into the Stanley Cup final indicates he’s getting the job done. However, it is worth noting, since he was pulled in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers in the first round, he is 10-4 with a 1.898 GAA and .929 SP. Those numbers are pretty darned good!
DUSTIN BROWN, RW, LOS ANGELES KINGS: Okay, so the hit on Rozsival was questionable, but like Quick, one bad play cannot erase all the good he has done throughout the playoffs. With 16 points, he, along with Ilya Kovalchuk of the Devils, is tied for the lead in scoring among players still active. He also remains third in hits with 67 trailing only Ryan Callahan (82) of the Rangers and Doan (79).
ILYA KOVALCHUK, RW, NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Kovalchuk continues to evolve as a two-way performer, but the Devils best shot at winning a fourth Stanley Cup is for him to kick his offence into high gear just a bit more. He has a legitimate shot at leading the playoffs in scoring if the Devils advance to the final, but having just one goal in his last five games is a concern.
