Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs served up some pretty great hockey with some, uh, unexpected outcomes.
Few saw these Round 2 matchups coming … but now that they’re here, we’ve been treated to some thrilling hockey and more than a few highlight-reel plays.
With all this parity, this year’s Conn Smythe race could prove to be one of the more intriguing ones in recent memory, with plenty of room for an unexpected hero to emerge.
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Here’s a list of the top candidates right now:
1. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
7 GP | 1.88 GAA | .937 SV% | 6-1
Any questions about Bobrovsky’s not-so-flattering playoff reputation have long been swept away after his dominant performance against the Tampa Bay Lighting.
History hasn’t been too kind to Bobrovsky when facing the Bruins, but three games into Round 2 against the Bruins he’s rewriting that narrative, too, with every acrobatic, clutch save.
His .937 save percentage and 1.88 goals-against average rank second behind just Robin Lehner this spring, and he seems to be getting even better. His best game of Round 2 so far came in Game 3 Tuesday night, when he faced a whopping 37 shots and let just one past him to help Columbus to a 2-1 series lead.
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
8 GP | 5 G | 7 A | 12 Pts
Every time MacKinnon touches the puck, it’s instant can’t-miss hockey. The 23-year-old has the ability to change the game with each stride, leaving defenders in his wake while Hockey Twitter instantly melts into one big MacKinnon Fan Club – and rightfully so. This guy is incredible.
His handful of goals and dozen points so far this post-season gives him the team lead in both categories and has him tied among all skaters in points so far.
This isn’t our first time seeing MacKinnon light up the post-season – he entered these playoffs with five goals and 16 points in 13 previous playoff games – but it’s certainly the best. He’s been held off the scoreboard just once this spring (Game 1 versus the Flames), and is averaging 1.35 points per game all-time in the playoffs, which is the highest in Avalanche franchise history.
3. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
10 GP | 9 G | 3 A | 12 Pts
Considering his elite performances of playoffs past, it was only a matter of time until Couture showed up on this list. The bigger the stage, the better the Sharks centreman is – and this spring is no exception.
Couture had his best game of the post-season so far on Tuesday night in Game 3 against the Avalanche, when he tallied a hat trick to propel the Sharks to a 2-1 series lead. It was his second multi-goal game of these playoffs after coming up big in San Jose’s wild Game 7 win against the Vegas Golden Knights, in which he scored twice. He currently leads all skaters in playoff goals and is tied for the lead in points, too.
Couture’s overall post-season track record is pretty remarkable: in 106 career playoff games dating back to the 2009-10 post-season when he made his playoff debut, Couture has registered 43 goals and 50 assists for 93 points. In fact, only Alex Ovechkin has tallied more playoff goals than Couture since then. There are five players sitting ahead of Couture in overall points since 2010: Sidney Crosby (123), Patrick Kane (109), Evgeni Malkin (106), Jonathan Toews (97) and Ovechkin (96). All five have Stanley Cups.
4. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
10 GP | 0 G | 12 A | 12 Pts
If you weren’t too familiar with Slavin before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you certainly are now. The Hurricanes defenceman has been playing the best hockey of his career this spring, thriving under the spotlight, and boy is he fun to watch. Slavin has emerged as a leader on the Hurricanes’ blue line, a smooth-skating group of rearguards that has proved extremely tough to solve. He leads all teammates in ice time per game (he’s averaging 26:40 per game) and has been a real offensive force, too.
The 25-year-old has 12 assists in 10 games, which includes four multi-point games and a stellar three-assist performance in Game 7 against the Capitals to eliminate the Cup champs. His dozen points gives him the team lead and also ties him among all NHL peers this post-season.
One theory about his elite performance: the Legend of Dad Strength. (Slavin and his wife just adopted a baby girl last month.)
5. Matt Duchene, Columbus Blue Jackets
7 GP | 5 G | 4 A | 9 Pts
Duchene is clearly having a blast this post-season, and you’ve got to admit it’s been pretty fun to watch him light up the scoreboard and set off the goal cannon in Columbus. Both Duchene and the Blue Jackets have been starved for playoff success, so it’s only fitting that the two parties should join forces to help each other reach the next level.
Duchene had seven points in Round 1 as the Blue Jackets swept the Lightning to reach Round 2 for the first time in franchise history (and the first time in his own personal history, too).
He scored the game-winning goal in both of the Blue Jackets’ second-round victories against the Bruins to take a 2-1 series lead, and wrote his name in the team’s record books in the process.
6. Robin Lehner, New York Islanders
7 GP | 1.69 GAA | .946 SV% | 4-3
OK, so the Islanders are on the brink of elimination … but as long as they’re still alive, Lehner deserves all the credit we can toss his way.
In addition to being one of the best stories of the regular season, the Islanders goaltender has simply been the best netminder at the rink every time he sets foot on the ice – his goals-against average and save percentage lead all playoff goalies right now. He let in just six goals on 136 shots in four straight victories to sweep the Penguins in Round 1, and he’s been almost as good against the Hurricanes in Round 2, despite being on the losing end of each low-scoring game so far.
While Game 3 against the Hurricanes Wednesday night saw him commit a bit of a giveaway gaffe, Lehner’s brick wall-like performance has kept the club in every tight, low-scoring game. (We’ll note here that the final score of Game 3 was 5-2, but those two Hurricanes insurance goals were empty-netters.)
As long as Lehner’s in net, there’s hope for the Islanders.
Honourable mentions: Jordan Binnington, Ben Bishop, Erik Karlsson, Brad Marchand, and … The Hurricanes’ goal posts.
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