Different Seasons, Different MVPs

So if the Stanley Cup playoffs ended today because Gary Bettman needed to spend more time working with Jim Balsillie, Sidney Crosby would be the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP, right?

PABLO MARTINEZ/AP

Crosby in his office.

There would be other candidates. If Anaheim can sneak past Detroit tonight Jonas Hiller will start to get mentions. If it goes the other way, you can't ignore goal-machine Johan Franzen. Should Carolina prevail in Boston tonight Eric Staal will be viewed as a big reason behind the Canes' third conference final appearance in six years. Chicago? Right now, the list of candidates is too long, with youthful captain Jonathan Toews possibly leading the pack.

But still, at the end, it would be Crosby. With 12 goals in 13 games, and the majority of them scored from the messy, dangerous areas near the enemy net, Crosby is proving himself to be the consummate NHL post-season warrior. Alex Ovechkin was generally terrific in seven games against the Penguins and certainly had more dash, but Crosby delivered the true substance in the end.

That one-on-one rivalry - Crosby vs. Ovechkin - will next be played out in Vancouver next winter.

Still, its interesting that while Crosby wasn't even a finalist for the Hart Trophy as regular season MVP this year - Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk were - the Nova Scotian has outshone all three in the playoffs. They've all been good, mind you, and even though Datsyuk hasn't got the numbers he's been a dominant performer for the Red Wings against the Ducks.

But Crosby, bolstered with the experience of getting so close to the Cup last spring, has been better. It certainly complicates the debate over who is the best player in the world right now, doesn't it.

If it was four weeks ago, most would say Ovechkin.

Today? Hard to look past what Crosby is doing.

And you'd rather have the guy who can do it in the playoffs.

Comments

[LOCKSTOCK93]

Crosby has appeared to be trying to displace the definition of determined and replace it with a picture of himself(Webster's should probably consider it).

His numbers have been lights out, sure, but Ovie's numbers are better. But, as usual, the numbers don't really share the whole story. Suffice it to say, when 87 was on the ice he was a machine

[Matt B]

he's played terrific. Really knows how to come through in the clutch.

[blabla]

Yeah yeah good Canadian writer defending his country mate or just was well paid to write this bs...

[nimitz]

Even though Crosby is playing very well in the playoffs, I think Ovechkin performed better by a mile, Crosby simply has a better team sarrounding him.

[Keswickian]

I'd question Crosby being the best. I'd cheer for a Canadian anytime to be the best but I think Ovechkin did as well in the series with a lesser cast. MVP should be the guy who's team would hurt the most if they took him away, right? Caps wouldn't have made the playoffs.

[mark frayne]

do not usually agree with you damien but you hit the nail on the head . remember world juniors with crosby and ovechkin leading their teams ? same result , ovechkin was personally to blame for two pens goals for being selfish and lazy , in world juniors he quit on his team and left the ice with a sore shoulder when they were getting blown out . would crosby have done that ? crosby is almost 2 years younger as well ! people forget this . crosby is the real deal , ovechkin flashy goal scorer , a media darling who does not know how to win in a team concept . i know who i want on my team !

[Giller]

Great players make others around them look better. Crosby made the rest of his team look better, while Ovechkin looked like he was trying to do it all himself.
And anyone who says Pitsburgh had the better team...well then, why did Washington finish higher in the standings through the regular season?
Crosby dominated. I'm not a fan, but I'm coming around.

[McFly]

Did you AO guys watch the series?? AO scored some great goals but disappeared at times and cherry picked most of the time in order to get those chances? How often do you see Ovechkin on a three on two? Rarely, as his linemates are in the defensive zone playing DEFENSE while he is floating high.

Crosby is the best player. AO is the best goal scorer. This series proved as much.

[mario]

Damien,

Now this is a great article. I still do not get how Crosby got no mention for the MVP (not that he would win Ovechkin has the award on lock, if not only because he is the leagues most marketable player right now). But throughout the series one thing was constant, both of these guys came to the rink and played and scored and showed the world that the hype is real. In fact I can't wait until the 2010 Olympics, this may be the best one yet from a competition stand point with a TON of bragging rights on the line.

Mario

[Jim]

Matt B, how is he "defending" his countrymate? What an odd comment. There's nothing to defend - Crosby played very well, perhaps even better than most people (Canadians included) expected.

[Paul Anderson]

Not much point saying who is the better player. That will be decided over their careers, but I thought Crosby was the more effective in this series. If the NHL starts to call those leaping hits, then AO will not have as much of an edge in that department. He'll always have that shot, which scared Fleury into giving him two empty net goals, or so it looked. At least two other AO goals had no Penguins in the replay. Part of the credit has to go to him, but how can you not have someone at least within a stick length of him. That said, Crosby was the leader of a playoff-hardened team. Players really do focus for a reason, and the Caps' leader did not have that focus when it was all on the line. I actually think they have a deeper, more talented cast than the Pens, but they have to get some structure when it counts. Bad luck to lose their goalie early, after such a great run. And those carbon sticks have to go. Two games pretty much settled by how easily those things break.

But Crosby in this series. Effort, focus, nerves. First goals, last goals--if he had a Kurri, he'd probably have had Gretzky numbers in this series. Grateful to them both for a great series.

[nimitz]

Ok the general debate on who's better can go on forever...I personally dislike Crosby, so I won't even bother comparing them on their various merits since I'm obviously biased.

However, since this discussion is concerning who's more deserving of MVP I think we can pretty much all agree that Washington would suffer imeasurably more without Ovechkin as appose to the Penguins without Crosby. Anyone remember the time when Crosby went down for a few months and Malkin picked up the slack...?

[Bryan M]

It's too close to call. Give Ovie his due - he's more than just a goal scorer, his hit count in the series was high too. Fortunately we'll get lots of chances in the future to make this call.

[Big Al]

No contest , Crosby make everyone around him better , Ovie does not !!!!!!!!!! And never will !!!!

[sam]

I agree with you Damien. Crosby has shown a grit and tenacity that I thought was missing from his game.

RE: AO is the MVP b/c his team needs him more. Yes, that is the strict definition. But on that logic, Gretz would have never been the MVP on the Oilers team.