The Conference Finals are almost set, with two Game 7s left to decide who will face off in the West.
So far we’ve seen several impressive individual performances, from both established stars and less heralded players who are making a name for themselves with their post-season play.
Here’s at look at some of the early favourites to take home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Matt Murray
Murray has been phenomenal for the Pittsburgh Penguins since taking over for Jeff Zatkoff in Round 1. The rookie has a .935 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average through nine games and has seemingly stolen the crease from veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s recovered from his concussion and is cleared to play.
Phil Kessel has made himself a case with 12 points in 11 games and there’s always time for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin to explode and become front-runners for the award, but for now Murray has the edge.
Ben Bishop
If Murray’s performance has him as Pittsburgh’s leading candidate, then it’s pretty tough not to choose Bishop here. The Lightning goaltender has been even better than Murray, leading all remaining goalies in post-season shutouts (two), save percentage (.938) and goals-against average (1.89), numbers not far off Jonathan Quick’s MVP-winning performance in 2012 (three, .946, 1.41).
You can’t forget about Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson, who continue to carry the load offensively for a team that’s still without captain Steven Stamkos. Kucherov leads the league in playoff goals with nine, while Johnson leads the Lightning in points with 13, one more than his Russian teammate.
Then there’s Victor Hedman. He plays more than anybody on the team, and if Johnson and Kucherov had to pick up the slack for Steven Stamkos, Hedman has had to anchor a blue line missing a valuable piece in Anton Stralman.
Jamie Benn
The Dallas Stars are one of few teams whose goalie(s) aren’t a reasonable candidate at the moment, but luckily for them they have Benn to score their crease concerns away. Benn is tied for the league lead in playoff points with 15 and has done it all without his usual linemate, Tyler Seguin.
Jason Spezza, with 13 points of his own, isn’t far behind his captain and has come up with big goals when needed. John Klingberg hasn’t produced at the rate he did in the regular season (just four points in 12 games so far), but is still playing the big minutes on a team that lacks depth on the blue line. There’s time for him to make a case, but for now Benn has to be the leader.
David Backes
On such a balanced team it can be tough to find a standout candidate, making this one of the hardest choices. Brian Elliott has been great and his .926 save percentage and 2.39 goals-against average isn’t far off from Murray and Bishop. Vladimir Tarasenko leads the team in goals (six) and points (12) despite concerns about his usage, Alex Pietrangelo plays over four and a half minutes more than the next highest Blue on a very deep blue line, while Alexander Steen continues to showcase his well-rounded game.
In the end, it’s Backes who gets the nod, having led St. Louis head-on into both of the Blues’ playoff series so far. The captain is second on the team in points and first in hits if that’s your thing. He’s also had the unenviable task of going after Jonathan Toews and Benn in each round so far.
Colin Wilson
Wilson has almost as many goals (six) these playoffs as he had all regular season (six). The 26-year-old has come alive in this spring to lead the Nashville Predators in points with 13 and is the clear front-runner for the Preds. He’s only been held off the scoresheet in two of his team’s 13 games so far.
Roman Josi is second on the team with nine points, as the slick defenceman has made a case of his own. Other names to watch out for include: Shea Weber, Ryan Johansen, James Neal and Mike Fisher. Of course, there’s always a chance Pekka Rinne gets hot at the right time.
Brent Burns
Burns is the only defenceman to lead his team in points (15) and shots (40) thus far, as the Norris finalist hasn’t missed a beat this post-season.
Captain Joe Pavelski, leading the Sharks with eight goals, could just have easily been put in place of Burns here, while Marc-Edouard Vlasic continues to be one of the best defenders in the world. Logan Couture is worth keeping an eye on as well, as the 27-year-old find himself second on San Jose in points (14) and goals (6).
