I’m personally curious who wins the Conn Smythe this year.  Cue every Wings fan naming their players…

Posted by Adam on 06/11/09 at 09:30 AM ET

Cue every Wings fan naming their players…

Strange, that.

If it’s a Wings shutout, it’s Ozzie.

If it’s a Wings blowout, yet the Pens score at least three goals (6-3 game, for example), it’s Zetterberg.

If it’s a close game that the Wings win, but Ozzie lets in at least three, it’s Malkin.

If the Pens win, no matter the score, it’s Malkin.

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/11/09 at 09:34 AM ET

If it’s a Wings shutout, it’s Ozzie.
If it’s a Wings blowout, yet the Pens score at least three goals (6-3 game, for example), it’s Zetterberg.
If it’s a close game that the Wings win, but Ozzie lets in at least three, it’s Malkin.
If the Pens win, no matter the score, it’s Malkin.
Posted by Red Winger from The Soo on 06/11/09 at 10:34 AM ET

Agreed.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/11/09 at 09:41 AM ET

So it’s settled, barring any player that scored 12 goals in one game that would already have been in top 10 consideration.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 06/11/09 at 09:48 AM ET

I’m personally curious who wins the Conn Smythe this year.  Cue every Wings fan naming their players…

Jimmy Carson.

Posted by Incognetis from Delaware... Hi... I'm in... Delaware on 06/11/09 at 10:09 AM ET

Since you asked Paul…  I’m very-much following some serious minor league hockey drama while waiting.

The Kalamazoo Wings left the IHL a week ago out of the blue…. and yesterday announced they are joining the ECHL for this coming October.  All of the IHL is in an uproar over it.  Flint’s in bad shape already and may not even play this year, Port Huron maybe only has two years left before they move to the proposed Howell arena Malik’s talked about some on his blog and maybe turn junior, and the IHL’s newest expansion franchise in Dayton turns out to be owned by two guys that own a little pizza chain in Fort Wayne, IN.

Rumor has it that the new ECHL Toledo Walleye team does not still hold any real ties to the Detroit Red Wings anymore, and the Kalamazoo Wings are now pushing hard to try to get Detroit’s affiliation (being so close to Grand Rapids it would make sense as well).

Being a Kalamazoo Wings fan, I’m dying now to get an updated ECHL schedule, find out expansion draft info, possible affiliation news, and find out what’s going to become of the IHL now that one of its core franchises left.

Posted by Primis on 06/11/09 at 10:11 AM ET

If the Pens win, no matter the score, it’s Malkin.

Posted by Red Winger from The Soo on 06/11/09 at 10:34 AM ET

But in reality Gary will make sure his Baby Boy gets it no mater what the outcome of the game is.  He can do such things.  I know he can.

Drop the puck already.

Posted by WingsFanInBeanLand from Lidstrom's head telling him 1 more year on 06/11/09 at 10:20 AM ET

If the Penguins win - and maybe even if Detroit does - it should be Malkin.  He’s been fantastic - and to be honest, it’s good to see him playing so well after all the negative attention he got last year.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/11/09 at 10:59 AM ET

If Pittsburgh wins, I don’t think there’s any question.

But, unless he gets 4+ points in a losing effort, I can’t see justifying giving him the Conn if they lose.  He’s been the best player on Pittsburgh this series but I don’t think the way he’s played overshadows the way Zetterberg or Osgood have played.

I really only see three candidates for the Smythe, and I can’t think of any justification for either of the three getting the trophy if his team loses.

Posted by Garth on 06/11/09 at 11:19 AM ET

Call me a homer, whatever, Crosby has been incredible throughout these playoffs at both ends of the ice as well as serving as providing unwavering leadership.  Yes, he has only gotten 3 points in this series, but he has created great chances and played very well overall, and if the Pens win, I am in agreement it will probably be Malkin, but if Sid has a huge game, don’t count him out.

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 06/11/09 at 11:29 AM ET

Also, I was at game 6 in Pittsburgh and will be at game 7 in Detroit.  (so much for my savings…)  GO PENS!

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 06/11/09 at 11:30 AM ET

I would be more inclined to award the Smythe to a player that went far beyond rational expectations.
That would skip over all the names previously mentioned and bring players like Talbot or Cleary into the picture.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 06/11/09 at 12:47 PM ET

I would be more inclined to award the Smythe to a player that went far beyond rational expectations.
That would skip over all the names previously mentioned and bring players like Talbot or Cleary into the picture.

I can definitely understand the sentiment, and I tend to think in those terms too, but that’s not really what the award is there for.

Malkin led the league in points, and led the playoffs in points.  If his team wins he’s the MVP because he was the most important player on his team, even though what he did in the playoffs and what he did in the regular season aren’t all that different (excepting, of course, that one of them was in the freaking playoffs).

I’ve got to say Ozzie wins it on both accounts, though.  If you judge him by his regular season then what he did in the playoffs greatly exceeds what he could rationally be expected to do.  If you base it off of who was more important to the Wings, I think he wins here, too, because of the number of 1 goal, or 0 goal, games that he put up and how often the Wings were outplayed in the first 10 minutes (which is basically every freaking game since the Columbus series) and how many times he kept them in it long enough for the Wings to wake up.  It isn’t as though there were a lot of 3-0 leads going into the second intermission.

Posted by shanetx on 06/11/09 at 01:01 PM ET