Osgood would be a better choice,given what most experts expected or predicted of him.Malkin would be a better choice over Crosby given some of his clutch goals vs the Caps.Cam Ward also is a better choice given he went head to head with Broduer and won,given the less than Canes offense.i’d go Franzen over Crosby as well.for now.

Posted by Speedy Sammich from DTown on 05/20/09 at 11:14 PM ET

This article is almost as bad as your p.o.s. about coaching.

Posted by Puckhead from Jersey, you morons! on 05/20/09 at 11:27 PM ET

This need that everyone has to crown an MVP when we’re just halfway to the Stanley Cup win simply mystifies me.  There’s a reason that they play four rounds of best-of-seven and there’s a reason the Smythe is rewarded at the end.  There’s also a reason (whether justified or not) that a cup-losing player has only won it 5 times out of 45.  We could throw names up from all four teams, but in the end it’s most likely going to go to a player on the winning team, and we haven’t even narrowed the field down to the two final teams yet, much less the winner.  And only halfway over, it’s not hard to imagine than a Hossa, Datsyuk, Kunitz, Jordan Staal, Chad LaRose or Fleury could kick their game into high gear and take over their team’s run, propelling them to a Conn Smythe victory or, for that matter, that a frontrunner like Crosby or Franzen could make it to the finals and completely disappear on us.

So howzabout we don’t start making predictions when there’s still hallf the race to go?

Posted by Garth on 05/20/09 at 11:32 PM ET

....almost.

Crosby comes close and has a better team to work with so he gets more playoff success.

You seem to do this a lot. In talking about Brodeur playing behind a good defensive system in New Jersey for example. Its irrelevant. He plays with his teammates. End of story. No one person, no matter how good, is better than the team that he plays for.

Though I do think Crosby does deserve mention for the Conn Smythe. Especially if he can close in on that playoff goal record.

Posted by Steve Strowbridge from St. John's, NL, CA on 05/20/09 at 11:34 PM ET

You use only stats and a stupid argument about eliminated players.  You’re looking at the award from only a statistical Pts/Game standpoint when the award is so much more than about stats.  Your articles and opinions show that either you don’t watch hockey or are functionally literate but boderline retarded. In either case STFU once and for all.  Is there a gong anywhere?  Get this clown off the Gore.

Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 05/20/09 at 11:42 PM ET

Can’t really say what’s going to happen with two rounds left.  And scoring alone doesn’t make the mvp; more or less the mvp should be the guy who has delivered the most at clutch times.  We’ll have to wait and see who actually does that.  Even then…it’s not always a winner (see: Gigeure); but it’s pretty clear that you have to make it to the finals to even be considered.

Of the remaining teams here’s some good candidates:
Ward
Crosby
Osgood
Havlat (?)

Anything now is just speculation.

Posted by stoneman from Vegas on 05/21/09 at 01:00 AM ET

Osgood should never be the MVP of anything. Exceeding low expectations is what third-liners do in the playoffs, and they don’t get consideration for the Smythe. Neither should Osgood.

Crosby’s pretty much a lock if the Pens win. If the Canes win, maybe Ward, but a lot of guys could step up and win it. The Western Conference teams, it’s completely up in the air.

Posted by Robo-Pope on 05/21/09 at 02:43 AM ET

I think the coaching article was as much BS as you guys, but quit piling on… Crosby is clearly the front-runner right now. He’s got 22 points in only 14 playoff games, and he’s a +6. He’s winning face-offs, and his defensive game is better than it was last post-season.

The one that bothers me is when people put Malkin even in the top five. Somehow, he’s a minus player, even though he’s got 21 points. More than half his points are power play points, which explains that. He’s not great at even-strength.

The rest of the top five:
- Ward, for saving Carolina’s bacon at least a dozen times to this point
- Franzen, for scoring damn near a goal per playoff game the last two playoffs, and for potting three game winners this post-season
- Cleary, for being the best + player in the post-season, having a game seven winner, another game winner, and an all-around dominant even-strength record, by any statistical measure
- Jokinen, for his MASSIVE game winning goals—he has scored the biggest goals of the playoffs of all the teams, period

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 05/21/09 at 07:10 AM ET

From frightening stupid to painfully obvious in one day.

Tomorrow’s post, “The Wings are better than the Jackets”

Posted by Chris Pronger Rosetta Stone on 05/21/09 at 09:06 AM ET

22 points, and a +6?  that’s pathetic.  what good are his points when he’s getting scored on almost as much?  his defensive game is obviously atrocious.

does he play with Malkin a lot?  because Malkin has 21 points and is a -1.  if they play together, they are obviously worrying more about scoring and less about team defense.  that, to me, doesn’t sound like MVP caliber play.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/21/09 at 10:54 AM ET

He’s got 22 points in only 14 playoff games, and he’s a +6.

so how about a player who has 18 points and is +11?  or a guy who has 12 points and is +14?  or 16 points and a +12?

were I a coach, I’d much rather have a guy with a few less points and double the +/- on the ice because it means he is much more responsible defensively.  stopping the other team from scoring is just as important as scoring yourself.

I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which three players I’m talking about.

and as for Osgood, he has the best GAA and is basically tied with Ward for Save %.  he’s also 10-3 whereas Ward is 8-7.  with the Wings defensive woes in the regular season, it stands to reason that their goalie stepping his game up in a HUGE way would lend consideration for MVP.

but as already pointed out, there is possibly another month of hockey to be played so it’s a bit premature to choose someone.  speculating along the way is fun, though.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/21/09 at 11:02 AM ET

I’m pleasantly surprised you didn’t say something like Martin Brodeur or Manny Malhotra.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 05/21/09 at 11:38 AM ET

just saw this on the sidebar…

Why are you reading it?
???

I don’t think any of us have an answer either.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/21/09 at 11:38 AM ET

Paul in miami, you might be placing a little too much importance on the +/- don’t you think?

Puck stops here guy,  Even mentioning Ovechkin in this article is dumb, no matter how much you like him, he’s not even a consideration anymore.  It has to be Crosby & Franzen/Cleary at the front of the pack at this point.  It looks like you’re writing these articles to be controvesial (like Puck Daddy does) but more often than not, you make horrible, horrible errors in judgement.  Like your statement “Ovechkin is the best”

The best at what? scoring the most goals….sure.  Irritating and getting opponents off their game….ok.  Making his teammates better? nope. Playing defense? haven’t seen that yet. 

Discounting Crosby because “he has a better team to work with” What does that mean, didn’t the Capitals have more points in the regular season? Do you use logic when making conclusions? It doesn’t seem like it to me. 

Even in an opinion piece, you sound ridiculous…  make a believable argument next time, or watch the games first before saying something else that’s dumb and illogical.

Posted by Aron from Mount Vernon on 05/21/09 at 12:06 PM ET

From frightening stupid to painfully obvious in one day.
Tomorrow’s post, “The Wings are better than the Jackets”

That point is not obvious in phuckstops world; rather, it is debatable because everybody knows that Osgood sucks and Mason had a better regular season. 

Tomorrow’s post, “Statistics prove that the team scoring the most goals wins every time.”

Phuckstops does not belong on KK.

Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 05/21/09 at 12:28 PM ET

I’m pleasantly surprised you didn’t say something like Martin Brodeur or Manny Malhotra

Because when the bar has fallen this low, almost nothing amazes anymore.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 05/21/09 at 12:53 PM ET

Paul in miami, you might be placing a little too much importance on the +/- don’t you think?

I think it is an important stat.  when looked at in conjunction with sheer point totals, it gives you an excellent idea of the player’s all-around play.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/21/09 at 05:28 PM ET