By Jim Kelley,
SPORTSNET.CA
DETROIT — Unofficial polls usually have an error ratio a lot higher than most, but the consensus in the media workroom prior to Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final here at the Joe Louis Arena is that barring something sensational (such as the Penguins winning or one of their players going all Darryl Sittler on us via a 10-point night) the two frontrunners for the Conn Smythe Trophy MVP are Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg and Nick Lidstrom.
It’s thought to be a virtual dead heat which opens the probability door to several scenarios for the award voted by select members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Zetterberg could win it simply by Detroit winning the game and some effective handling of Sidney Crosby. The forward the Wings refer to as "Zee" has built his case on stellar defensive play and effective use of power-play and penalty-killing time in this series and throughout the run, but he’s also a primary scorer for the Wings.
Should he get a point in this game (he has 23, 12 of them goals) he’ll tie the franchise’s single-season playoff points record shared by Wings legend Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov. A two-point night (admittedly tough to come by in this series) would likely move Zetterberg ahead of Lidstrom who hasn’t been spectacular, but has been spectacularly effective.
Editor’s note: Zetterberg recorded two assists through three periods to set a new franchise record.
Lidstrom has moved to the forefront simply by playing up to his reputation. He is virtually mistake free; plays nearly 30 minutes a game and his getting the score tied in Game 4 after the Pens had taken a 1-0 lead only added to his broad-strokes picture as the most complete player and effective leader in the playoffs.
And while Zetterberg turned heads by negating Crosby during the 86 seconds the Pens had a two-man advantage late in Game 4, Lidstrom matched it by being out for that kill and playing all of the time that the Wings were two men down (and he played it well).
A bit further back are Detroiters Chris Osgood and Johan Franzen but both are thought to need a Detroit win and a spectacular role in it to move ahead.
Osgood could do that by posting a shutout (it would be his third in this series) or maybe even a one-goal game. He leads the playoffs in save percentage and it’s fair to say that he he’ll get his share of votes for that and the fact that he stepped in off the bench when Dominik Hasek faltered vs. Nashville and has been a steadying influence in the nets ever since.
Franzen seemed to be a contender early on and still leads in goal scoring, but he missed all of the series with Dallas and hasn’t been much of an offensive force in this series. He dominated a damaged Colorado team and that might not seem like much, but it allowed the older Wings to get through a series quickly and that’s left them fresher for Dallas (which gave the Wings a run) and now Pittsburgh. He has given Pittsburgh reason to worry, however, and a big outing in the final game could rekindle interest in a ballot with his name on it.
If it does end in Detroit this evening, no Penguin is thought to have a chance. Crosby and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury have drawn some passing interest but are now at the point where they have to turn Pittsburgh’s fortunes into a complete turnaround and a Cup victory to have any reasonable chance.
My vote: if it ends tonight and unless something spectacular happens to change my mind, I would go with Zetterberg. His game has been just about letter perfect. He was the single best player on the ice for Detroit in a very challenging series with Dallas and he’s not only kept Crosby in reasonable control, but he’s also so frustrated the Pens centre that Crosby tried to take a swing at him at the end of Game 4 in Pittsburgh. That’s part of an overall control and right now, that gives him the edge.
