Better Conn Smythe performance: 2017 Sidney Crosby or 2018 Alex Ovechkin?

[dalewood12]

Curious to hear who people think had a better individual performance and had a bigger impact on their team’s playoff success.

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[Orange Fanta]

Ov

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

2018 Ovi. Neither of Crosby’s Conn Smythe runs were particularly strong, his 2009 playoff run was better than his 2016/17 performance.

Ovechkin on the other hand poured it on in every series, especially the Tampa series.

 

[jetsforever]

Kessel

 

[Hockeyholic]

Crosby was gifted the Conn Smythe in 2016. Might've deserved it more in 2017.

The answer is clearly Ovi.

 

[BB88]

Crosby was gifted the Conn Smythe in 2016. Might've deserved it more in 2017.

The answer is clearly Ovi.

Didn’t Kuz deserve Ovy’s MVP?

 

[Hockeyholic]

Didn’t Kuz deserve Ovy’s MVP?

Ovi was more consistent imo.

 

[Voight]

Didn’t Kuz deserve Ovy’s MVP?

Honestly, its only Penguins fans on here that say that.

Sure he had 5 more points than him, but Ovy lead in goals and was an absolute force during the finals. If Kuz had won nobody would complain but Ovechkin had a VERY good case himself.

 

[nowhereman]

Crosby was gifted the Conn Smythe in 2016. Might've deserved it more in 2017.

The answer is clearly Ovi.

That's a pretty great job you did of counting stats. Kudos.

Honestly, its only Penguins fans on here that say that.

Sure he had 5 more points than him, but Ovy lead in goals and was an absolute force during the finals. If Kuz had won nobody would complain but Ovechkin had a VERY good case himself.

Well, Kuznetsov had 5 first place votes, so I don't think it's just Penguins fans who are to blame for that narrative. As far as I'm concerned, OV's Conn Smythe was just as much a reputation award as it was for Crosby's first.

Funny enough, it sounds a tad like your logic could be used to argue the Conn Smythe in Crosby's favor in 2009. He had more goals than Malkin and was the biggest reason the Penguins even made it out of the second round. He was better at even strength, played in every situation, drew the stiffest defensive match-ups, and played higher positive impact hockey than Malkin (goals/scoring chances etc. vs goals against).

But points.

 

[Kaner9]

Ovy is the pick here. Kuz 2018 > Ovy 2018 all day tho.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Kuz and Kessel should have won IMHO.

 

[nowhereman]

Kuz and Kessel should have won IMHO.

Kessel should have won the 2017 Conn Smythe?

I'm sorry... what? He didn't even finish top 3 in voting.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Kessel should have won the 2017 Conn Smythe?

I'm sorry... what? He didn't even finish top 3 in voting.

Woops conflating it with 2016.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Ovi definitely, but Crosby’s 2017 run was definitely a lot better than his 2016

 

[IslesBro715]

I remember Ovy hitting anything and everything in the finals. The man was a force.

Crosby didn’t deserve the 2nd conn smythe imo.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Crosby. He drove his own line

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Both great runs but OV's was better.

 

[BHD]

Crosby stepped up his game down the stretch that postseason, but Ovechkin was REALLY good the follow year. He scored 15 goals and was consistently good from Round 1 to the SCF.

 

[Voight]

That's a pretty great job you did of counting stats. Kudos.


Well, Kuznetsov had 5 first place votes, so I don't think it's just Penguins fans who are to blame for that narrative. As far as I'm concerned, OV's Conn Smythe was just as much a reputation award as it was for Crosby's first.

Funny enough, it sounds a tad like your logic could be used to argue the Conn Smythe in Crosby's favor in 2009. He had more goals than Malkin and was the biggest reason the Penguins even made it out of the second round. He was better at even strength, played in every situation, drew the stiffest defensive match-ups, and played higher positive impact hockey than Malkin (goals/scoring chances etc. vs goals against).

But points.

Crosbys poor showing in the 2009 finals probably cost him the Smythe. & it was going to be hard not to award it to Malkin when he had the highest scoring playoff run in almost 20 years.

 

[Xspyrit]

Crosbys poor showing in the 2009 finals probably cost him the Smythe. & it was going to be hard not to award it to Malkin when he had the highest scoring playoff run in almost 20 years.

Yeah it's crazy that he was able to do that in 2009

There's only 6 most productive NHL playoffs for a single player in history! 4 times it was Gretzky, once it was Lemieux and the other was Paul Coffey feeding Wayne Gretzky in 1984-85

Most Points in One NHL Playoff Season

If Malkin's run wasn't the most productive, it was at least very close when you consider the different eras.

2008-09 : 2.91 goals per game on average
1984-85 : 3.89 goals per game on average
1990-91 : 3.46 goals per game on average
1992-93 : 3.63 goals per game on average

NHL League Averages | Hockey-Reference.com

 

[wetcoast]

Crosby was gifted the Conn Smythe in 2016. Might've deserved it more in 2017.

The answer is clearly Ovi.

Sure I guess to a Caps fan but Ovi got more support and while both were 2nd on their team in scoring in the playoffs Crosby was only a single point behind Malkin, Ovi much more behind Kuz.

Also in the finals Crosby led his team in scoring while Ovi was 4th.

All that being said I’d say it’s a tie because it’s really hard to compare 2 different playoff runs with different opponents and team dynamics.

I also wonder if people remember that the Pens were missing Letang that year which made the SC win much more surprising.

 

[JaegerDice]

I remember Ovy hitting anything and everything in the finals. The man was a force.

Crosby didn’t deserve the 2nd conn smythe imo.

You want to award the conn smythe based on hits?

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Conn Smythe isn't a points trophy when Crosby wins it but Kuz had more points! Never change.

 

[IslesBro715]

You want to award the conn smythe based on hits?

where did I say that?

 

[Gurglesons]

It's pretty funny how people use the Kessel argument to discredit Crosby, but Kuzy doesn't matter.

Kuznetsov deserved the 2018 Smythe much more than Kessel deserved the 2016 Smythe.

Kuzy was Washington's best player in the Finals and was the one to slay the dragon of PIT. He had 12 goals to Ovie's 15 and outproduced him by 5 points.

Crosby's performance in the finals seals it for me here.