Could a player on a team that did not make the SCF win the Conn Smythe?

[Captain Bowie]

Goalie: 2 4 game shutout sweeps and a 7 game loss with 3 shutouts and 4 1-0 losses.

I suppose it's possible.

 

[Captain Bowie]

I dont ever see this happening. I honestly don't think its ever happened in any of the major sports actually

The NFL and MLB both playoff MVP's are for the Superbowl/World Series only. Not sure about NBA, but might be for finals only also.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Hypothetical:

The 2015-16 Oilers make the playoffs. McDavid wins the Calder. Hall wins the Art Ross. Eberle nets 35 goals. RNH is a selke candidate. Nurse is a legit top pairing guy. Scrivens puts respectable numbers and their bottom 6 is solid enough defensively to win them enough games to slide in to a cool 7th place in the tough Western conference. Basically, a top-heavy team that replies on offense.

Then, while partying for making the playoffs - ⅔ of their entire roster (including all all players mentioned above) get suspended by the NHL for the first three rounds of the playoffs (doens’t matter why). The Oilers are left with what is likely the worst roster in NHL playoff history, and Laurent Brossoit as their netminder. Everyone is calling for a 4 game sweep with no goal for (and many against).

Out of nowhere… Brossoit gets the 1-0 win in double OT in game one. A game for the ages. Think Brodeur’s best game ever meeting Roy’s best game ever, and them having a baby. And then, Hasek’s best game ever meeting Tretiak’s best game ever, and them having a bay. And by some miracle, those two babies meet to have a baby of their own… and it was this game by Laurent Brossoit. 73 saves and pure domination by the other team. In fact, the Oilers only managed 17 shots in the whole game. Anyways.. you get the idea.

He goes on to do this for 20 straight games putting together 11 shutouts (2 in game 7’s on the road), letting in no more than 2 goals in a single game, and having a GAA of 0.55, and a 0.978 save%. A vine of him literally standing on his head to make a save, goes viral. The only W’s Edmonton gets are when they manage to score a fluke goal, and Brossoit gets the shutout. Otherwise, the other team manages to get one by him at some point.

Then they lose in game 7 in the 3rd round.. 1-0 after making a record breaking 126 saves in 5OT and finishing what was the most unbelievable playoff performance in the history of the NHL.

He would win the Conn Smythe and everyone would want him to.
Aside from that - it would never happen.

 

[TheStranger]

I think you most likely mean 11 shutouts. 15 shutouts would have them winning three rounds, and in the final.

Yeah it was my post he quoted and I definitely mean 11, no idea at all where 15 came from

 

[HF007]

Hypothetical:

The 2015-16 Oilers make the playoffs. McDavid wins the Calder. Hall wins the Art Ross. Eberle nets 35 goals. RNH is a selke candidate. Nurse is a legit top pairing guy. Scrivens puts respectable numbers and their bottom 6 is solid enough defensively to win them enough games to slide in to a cool 7th place in the tough Western conference. Basically, a top-heavy team that replies on offense.

Then, while partying for making the playoffs - ⅔ of their entire roster (including all all players mentioned above) get suspended by the NHL for the first three rounds of the playoffs (doens’t matter why). The Oilers are left with what is likely the worst roster in NHL playoff history, and Laurent Brossoit as their netminder. Everyone is calling for a 4 game sweep with no goal for (and many against).

Out of nowhere… Brossoit gets the 1-0 win in double OT in game one. A game for the ages. Think Brodeur’s best game ever meeting Roy’s best game ever, and them having a baby. And then, Hasek’s best game ever meeting Tretiak’s best game ever, and them having a bay. And by some miracle, those two babies meet to have a baby of their own… and it was this game by Laurent Brossoit. 73 saves and pure domination by the other team. In fact, the Oilers only managed 17 shots in the whole game. Anyways.. you get the idea.

He goes on to do this for 20 straight games putting together 11 shutouts (2 in game 7’s on the road), letting in no more than 2 goals in a single game, and having a GAA of 0.55, and a 0.978 save%. A vine of him literally standing on his head to make a save, goes viral. The only W’s Edmonton gets are when they manage to score a fluke goal, and Brossoit gets the shutout. Otherwise, the other team manages to get one by him at some point.

Then they lose in game 7 in the 3rd round.. 1-0 after making a record breaking 126 saves in 5OT and finishing what was the most unbelievable playoff performance in the history of the NHL.

He would win the Conn Smythe and everyone would want him to.
Aside from that - it would never happen.

couldn't continue reading even if it is hypothetical

 

[DarthYenik]

I don't see how a player can make a big enough impact to win it, yet lose before the finals.

 

[Terry Yake]

the answer is yes, it can indeed happen

but it never will

 

[Brainiac]

It would have to be a goalie on a crappy team with a stat line that looks like this:

11W-4L-11SO

Basically going 4-0 and 4-0 all with shutouts. And then losing 3-4 in the conference finals with 3 shutouts and say, 4 x 1 goal games.

That could get you some consideration for the Smythe. So... yeah, unlikely.

edit: oups, some guys came up with even more ridiculous scenarios!

 

[nudie]

I guess 2002 would be one of the years that a few at least thought Forsberg had a chance.

By Joe Lapointe
Published: June 12, 2002
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DETROIT— When the discussion yesterday turned to the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Brendan Shanahan of the Detroit Red Wings asked, ''Can Peter Forsberg still win it?'' He was kidding, sort of, in the way that many a truth is told in jest.

With the Red Wings on the verge of winning the championship -- they lead Carolina, 3-1, with Game 5 tomorrow night in Joe Louis Arena -- it is likely that a Detroit player will win the trophy. Members of losing teams seldom win it (only four in 37 years) and it has never gone to a player whose team was eliminated before the finals, as Forsberg's Colorado Avalanche was this spring.

But you can make a case for Forsberg, just as you can for at least four Wings. After missing the regular season with a variety of ailments, Forsberg dominated many playoff games. He played a combative style and took his Avalanche to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, where Colorado lost to Detroit.

Even Detroit fans, who love to disparage the Avalanche, expressed admiration for Forsberg, who still leads all postseason scorers with 27 points in 20 games. He was the best player in the playoffs. No player was more valuable to his team. The Wings were happy to see him go.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/12/sports/on-hockey-clearing-customs-rarity-for-trophy.html

 

[Blues88]

It would completely cheapen the award. At the end of the day, the name of the game is advancing.

 

[Laveuglette]

Probably won't ever happen. Heck, they often give it to a player from the winning team even when there's a player who played 10 times better in the losing team. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

 

[LeafsNation75]

This is not the same thing but last year at the 2014 Olympics, Teemu Selanne was named MVP despite Finland playing and winning the Bronze Medal game, when it didn't go to someone like Carey Price who won the Gold. So just like the Conn Smythe the Olympic Hockey MVP is also voted on by the media.

 

[tsanuri]

It could happen but I don't see it ever happening. Even with the Selanne thing that happened. The Olympics are much different. It's one and done after the first round.