Who will win Conn Smythe Trophy?
- Thread starter canuckhal
- Start date
I have to admit that I thought it was a horrible trade. I was right in that I thought his style of game would not mesh with Crosby or Malkin. Who knew it would with additions of Bonino and Hagelin. He has been fantastic. Also, I thought Rutherford was a terrible hire and he proved me right last year and wrong this year. He made all the right moves this year.
i know where you are coming from regarding Rutherford but he was dealt a pair of deuces at the beginning of his tenure. He fixed the talent problem without giving up too many prospects which is remarkable. Hiring Johnston is still a head scratcher. I liked the guy personally but, he lost the team late last season.
Kessel's play in all three zones has been a revelation throughout the playoffs. He is clearly deserving of any and all post-Cup accolades he receives.
But if there was ever a time that a coach and his staff were deemed worthy of receiving such an honor, this Cup Final is it. Tactically, Mike Sullivan and his assistants have made San Jose look ordinary and this Sharks contingent is anything but. Simply an outstanding coaching job on every front by Sullivan.
But if there was ever a time that a coach and his staff were deemed worthy of receiving such an honor, this Cup Final is it. Tactically, Mike Sullivan and his assistants have made San Jose look ordinary and this Sharks contingent is anything but. Simply an outstanding coaching job on every front by Sullivan.
Would love to see Kessel get it simply because he has endured so much abuse from the media over the years. Would be a big middle finger to Toronto (and Boston to a lesser extent). After him, I'd go Crosby and then Murray. Crosby has been a tremendous leader and has set the tone and pace. He hasn't scored as much as Kessel, but he's dominated in the face off circle and done a lot of other small things. Murray has been fantastic, but most nights he hasn't been challenged a ton. Last night was by far his best game of the series. His positioning and poise is incredible for a 22 year old. Would love to see the glove hand get a little stronger and he occasional loses his net/posts, but again, wow for a 22 year old to be playing like this on this stage. Would love to see him pitch a shutout Thursday night!
Why the middle finger to Toronto? Since when have the Maple Leafs become the NY Yankees? Kessel was paid well to play there so no tears from me for whatever happened there...give him credit for taking advantage of contributing to a better roster. If the Pens finish the job, he'll likely win the CS, but my vote still goes to Murray. He's been outstanding despite not seeing a ton of action in every game...won game 4 with his 3rd period performance. It'll be interesting to see if the organization feels he's done enough to trade MAF (and his bigger contract)?
I thought he wasn't even nominated (probably due to the smaller sample size).
Correct, Sullivan didn't make the final three for the Jack Adams trophy consideration. Trotz, Ruff and Gallant were the finalists.
Re Sullivan's omisision, can't really argue the point much based upon his time behind the Pens bench. That's why he's deserving of a ton of post-Finals credit if the Pens are able to close it out (as I suspect they will).
EDIT - Re the CS Trophy, Duncan Keith's overall play throughout the playoffs last year left no doubt in any unbiased minds re who should be awarded the honor. While we've seen some terrific indiviidual performances from a select group of Pens, we clearly haven't witnessed that consistent level of excellence from series to series. Kessel's resume is the closest imo while Murray's play continues to make his case.
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They (media and fans) treated him pretty poorly for not being the savior they expected. He was always their best player but that wasn't good enough. He never liked the media spotlight, which is why Pittsburgh is good for him since Crosby/Malkin can take the attention. The middle finger wouldn't be from Pittsburgh to Toronto, but from Kessel to his detractors.
I have to agree with this. I have a good friend from Toronto who literally laughed at me when this trade was made. He predicted that Kessel would underperform, be a cancer in the locker room and not contribute in any meaningful way. Throughout the season he kept telling me "I told you so" because he felt Kessel had to be 35-goal scorer to justify the trade. I saw how he made the team better and anchored that second line after the Hagelin trade and felt he was right where he needed to be -- not the top dog with Crosby and Malkin, but the next best player on offense. My friend won't admit it, but it is killing him to see Kessel do well and be on the cusp of CS trophy and the cup.
I really hope the players aren't overlooking this game like we are. That said, we don't have to play, we can do that. I'm going with Kessel.
As much as it pains me to see the Pens on the cusp of the Cup, the Conn Smythe has to go to The Phil if the Pens win it. He's been a non-Flyer favorite of mine for years, especially after what the media put him through in Toronto. Those people treated him like garbage for years, and he always deserved so much more respect than what he got there - I suspect being back in an American media market (or at least out of Toronto) has and being on a team with two established stars has helped Kessel dramatically. Seeing him win the Cup and the Conn Smythe would be gratifying, and I think barring injury he'll be at least a 30 goal scorer next season.
The fans and the media were horrible to him when he was there. They called him fat, said he ate too much, that he was slow and hard to coach. There was a writer that hounded Kessel because he would buy hot dogs at the stand near his apartment. I mean really mean spirited stupid stuff. When the guy was scoring a lot of goals in that craptastic city. read this article about on of Toronto's wonderful "journalists"
http://theleafsnation.com/2015/11/2...sel-controversy-and-more-in-ama-session/trash
http://theleafsnation.com/2015/11/2...sel-controversy-and-more-in-ama-session/trash
I've seen enough of Phil Kessel's play in both of his last two NHL stops to believe the entirety of his 200' game as a Pen has improved dramatically compared to what I saw with the Leafs. He's become a true three-zone player to be reckoned with, something he never consistently exhibited for whatever reason(s) in Toronto.
A simple change in scenery with the right coach and line mate chemistry can sometimes make a world of difference.
A simple change in scenery with the right coach and line mate chemistry can sometimes make a world of difference.
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