We now return you to: The Return of the Conn Smythe Trophy Tracker Returns

Postby **Staggy** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:52 am

It feels like if the Pens win, it will be whoever has a bigger game between Kessel and Sid.

Postby **Lelldorin** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:56 am

And it will be glorious.
it'll be glorious just to watch all the Leafs fans melt in anger

And to Team USA for the World Cup

Postby **relantel** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:14 pm

Kessel winning would give Crosby that additional drive to get the team back here again so he can get one of his own.

Seriously, as much as Crosby might like the Smythe I'm sure he'd be ok with Kessel getting it if it means winning the game.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:59 pm

It feels like if the Pens win, it will be whoever has a bigger game between Kessel and Sid.

Don't forget the "cute story" aspect. A Murray shut out or 30 on 31 type of performance in a Cup clinching game might still tilt the scales, undeservedly, towards him...as it did with Giguere (to a lesser extent), Ward and Thomas previously...plus Justin Williams "Mr. Game 7" tag helped convince people that he was anywhere near as good as Anze Kopitar or Drew Doughty in those playoffs...which is not justifiable for me...

Postby **large garlic** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:56 pm

It feels like if the Pens win, it will be whoever has a bigger game between Kessel and Sid.

That's what I think too. Maybe if Murray has something like a 40+ save shutout, he gets into the conversation, but as others have pointed out, I feel like Murray has mostly been adequate rather than a hugely positive factor in the Pens' wins.

Also, just to not jinx things too much, I didn't see much of the Sharks in previous rounds, but for me, Burns is really their only player who consistently makes me nervous and unbalances the Pens' D. If they come back, he'd be my pick from their side.

Postby **large garlic** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 2:06 pm

And it will be glorious.
it'll be glorious just to watch all the Leafs fans melt in anger

I was reading through the comments on a Sportsnet story today on Kessel's contributions, and to their credit, there were a bunch of Leafs fans saying that Kessel had been unfairly treated by management and the media in Toronto.

However, there were also a bunch trying to rationalize the trade by saying that it was essentially trading Kessel for Matthews and how that's such a good return for soft, coach-killer like Kessel. I like this line of reasoning since it claims on the one hand that Kessel isn't that good, and on the other hand assumes that Kessel would have singlehandedly gotten the Leafs enough wins in the regular season to get them out of the high percentage slots in the draft lottery.

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 2:20 pm

And it will be glorious.
it'll be glorious just to watch all the Leafs fans melt in anger

I'll be in Toronto in early July. Ordering a Phil shersey just for the trip.

Postby **FistOfCaufield** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:00 pm

Washington Post released their current favorite for the Conn Smythe.

Braden Holtby

Postby **shmenguin** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:06 am

It feels like if the Pens win, it will be whoever has a bigger game between Kessel and Sid.

Unless the series goes a couple more games, Crosby can't overtake kessel.

Postby **relantel** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:17 am

It's all up to those 18 voters. Which means it could be any of the 3. Or someone else off the wall.

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:24 pm

KNOCK ON WOOD NO JINX BLAH BLAH BLAH

For me it's Kessel and I don't think there's much competition. After game one of this series I believed that if Crosby kept up that level of performance he would likely be the Conn Smythe winner in the event of the good guys winning, but he hasn't. He was fantastic in games one and two, bad in game three, and back to being good in game four.

I think Letang has followed a similar track record in this series. Sid and Letang combining for the brain fart that played a major role in this series not being a sweep doesn't help either of their cases.

Murray has ranged from good to excellent, but hasn't been truly excellent in a couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong he's going to be (KNOCK ON WOOD NO JINX) a Stanley Cup winning goaltender, but nearly every goal San Jose has scored in this series has been of the "dude really?" variety. To this point he's bested Jones in SV% this series and was Holtby's match in round two, but he was definitely outplayed by Vasectomy in the conference finals.

Phil leads the Pens in goals and points, has played a solid two-way game (and not just by his standards), and hasn't really had a bad game. I also give Bonino an outside shot based on solid offensive production while blocking significantly more shots than any other forward in the playoffs (46 to the 30 from Horny).

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:55 pm

LeBrun says he's voting for Crosby if it ends tomorrow...

Postby **Craig** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 4:43 pm

I bet like 3.40 to win 40 on kessel winning it in round 2 or so. Hopefully he gets a hat trick in a 3-2 win after being down 2-0 at the 56 minute mark.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Wed Jun 08, 2016 4:54 pm

I can't find any available bets on either Bovada or 5Dimes for the Conn Smythe...

Postby **Craig** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:05 am

Weird that you wouldnt find that with potentially one game left...

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:10 am

Weird that you wouldnt find that with potentially one game left...

why would they not have it?

I can still bet the Pens to win the series (-900), just not the Conn Smythe winner

Postby **Craig** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:13 am

It was listed as a futures bet. Only series and game prices are available at this point. You cant vote on any personal awards right now.

On may 14 i got kessel +950 and also took dallas to win the super bowl +2200. I really thought i threw away 13 dollars at the time, but hey, people got paid for leicester winning so anything can happen.

Postby **dodint** » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:32 am

Source of the post but hey, people got paid for leicester winning so anything can happen.

Did you hear about the guy that bet Leicester every single year but happened to move last year and forgot to bet? Sucks.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:04 pm

My vote a week ago was for Murray. If the Pens win, he will be in very elite company, and that trumps what Kessel and Crosby have done, imo.

That said, after that game 5 1st period, I'm rescinding my vote.

Postby **tifosi77** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:09 pm

Source of the post but hey, people got paid for leicester winning so anything can happen.
Did you hear about the guy that bet Leicester every single year but happened to move last year and forgot to bet? Sucks.

I did hear there was a guy who bet Leicester on those 5,000:1 odds, but accepted something like a £72,000 early payout after the 30th match or something. If he had held on he would've won £250,000.......

Still, 72k does not suck.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:10 pm

I mean, that's fine and that's not wrong from a dopey media perspective, but the Conn Smythe Trophy isn't designated for "cutest story" or "least experience while winning a game" or "best cap hit:production ratio"...it's the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Matt Murray just doesn't register for me. If he had three series like the Washington one, ok, sure, you're in there...but he hasn't...he's had one. The rest of the time, he has been just fine...except for losing two games in the SCF maybe singlehandedly...auto reject.

I just don't get case for him. But I also didn't get the case for Cam Ward either really...or Thomas in 2011 for that matter...I think, I don't say this to you tif, you don't vote, but it's just lazy and easy for the feature story...Brind'Amour and Chara, less of an interesting tale, already established names...rookie goalie, now that's a scoop! It's slovenly and unkempt...

Postby **relantel** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:36 pm

I think the odds may be better than 50/50 that a San Jose player will win the Smythe if the Pens win. And 100% if San Jose completes the comeback.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:23 pm

Personally, I put those odds at or near zero. There is little precedent for that. One in 40 years. The other guy since '70 broke the goals record for a playoffs. There is no one on San Jose that is close to that type of performance this postseason...

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:08 pm

There is zero chance in hell that a San Jose player wins the Conn Smythe for a series that will end in six games. The entire team has sucked in this series except for Jones.

Postby **dodint** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:09 pm

Yup, the SJS big players were nonexistent until game 5. That ship sailed.