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Who Wins The Conn Smythe Trophy?

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Bobrovsky just over Barkov for me.

But it's so tight, a dominant cup clinching game could swing my vote to either.
 
winnipegger said:
His impact in game 1 was Hasek like. This is much different if it's 2-1 Florida.
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To me it has looked like, even if oilers get a chance close enough to net, the play is broken in some way and they don't get a clean shot off.

When they do get a clean shot off after a defensive lapse (Ekholm, Foegele) it goes in but when the panthers are defending as a unit, the scoring chances usually end up on the backhand side or most of the shooting lane is blocked.

It's very rare that oilers have gotten clean chances in front of the net. Yesterday there was that one with McLeod getting a shot from close but he couldn't elevate the puck at all under the pressure, so it just found pad where pad should be. Looks like a fantastic save and it is, but it's also a subpar shot.

Draisaitl's angled onetimers have been effectively blocked by mostly Barkov, McDavid can't drive the net front without getting poked or stick lifted. They don't quite have the shot quality to snipe from distance as effectively as they would need, and they can't get clean shots off in the slot. That's why the last 2 goals yesterday were a missed shot bouncing off a D and a deflection. There's not much room for your normal oilers offense magic
 
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Bobrovsky for me. Yes, Barkov has been excellent. But Bobrovsky has been better and more important to the team. He plays the position that can literally sink the ship. He has been the very definition of what the Conn Smyth is. This isn't to take away from Barkov. Just that Bobrovsky, for me, is the Conn Smyth favorite.
 
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The fact that the Final has greater importance relative to the earlier rounds must weigh into the voting. I would give it to Barkov, but I suspect Bob will win it since he is the Final MVP.
 
MikeK said:
Bobrovsky for me. Yes, Barkov has been excellent. But Bobrovsky has been better and more important to the team. He plays the position that can literally sink the ship. He has been the very definition of what the Conn Smyth is. This isn't to take away from Barkov. Just that Bobrovsky, for me, is the Conn Smyth favorite.
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If you go by finals then yes but if you have watched past this round you know that’s not true
 
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It's Bob I think by a good margin right now, unless he magically falls apart and has a couple of bad games.
 
Bob or Barkov is fine. You could give Bob extra credit for last playoffs imo and I wouldn’t even be mad
 
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Bob has been the biggest star in the finals for sure. Edmonton has arguably had the better of the play for 2/3 games but officer Bobrovsky is on the case.

That being said though, there is a strong case for Barkov too. He's been excellent all 4 series and is also a key factor in both sides of the puck in the finals too.

Still at least 1 game left to play, but I would think either guy is definitely leading the pack at this point.
 
It's gonna be Bobrovsky

Unless he somehow gets blown up every game in games 4-6 (or even 7) and the Panthers just barely eek out a win in game 7. Then maybe Barkov gets it. I give the Oilers no chance of winning at this point, so that's why I didn't even throw out the ''Unless the Oilers come back to win''.

And I was really giving it to Bobrovsky after game 3 of the Rangers series. I thought he was just pretty okay for the first 2 rounds, but I think it's safe to say that from game 5 of the Boston series through game 3 of this series has been the best stretch of playoff hockey he's ever played. By far.

There's also been instances where they seem to favor legacy/legend players getting the Conn Smythe. Which is why I think they gave it to Niedermayer in 07 and Crosby in 16. Maybe even Patrick Kane in 13 (he was still pretty young at the time) who said publicly right after getting it that he thought Crawford got stiffed on it. Those guys had all won cups prior to that, but never the Conn Smythe.

And Bob has been around a long time now and has built up a legacy. Barkov isn't even 30 yet and hasn't won a cup and not won the Conn Smythe before this, like those others guys I mentioned.
 
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CashMash said:
I hope Barkov gets it and I think he has been the more impactful player throughout, but I won't get super upset if recency bias gives it to Bob. Only one player can win it...

I doubt Kopitar cries himself to sleep because he doesn't have one.
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Well, even through all rounds Barkov made a huge impact, an impact most don't realize. Look at the players he shut down: Kucherov, Pasti, Panaran, McGregor. That is an all-star team to face in one playoff, none of them had good playoffs. (I know he is not the only one, but he was the matchup )
 
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RMF5630 said:
Well, even through all rounds Barkov made a huge impact, an impact most don't realize. Look at the players he shut down: Kucherov, Pasti, Panaran, McGregor. That is an all-star team to face in one playoff, none of them had good playoffs. (I know he is not the only one, but he was the matchup )
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Agreed. He deserves it as far as I am concerned, but recency bias is a hell of a thing... That and some seeing the Finals as the most important round. :)
 
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I dunno, Bobrovsky winning the Smythe with the lowest s% since Bill Ranford in 1990 and being the less great goalie on the ice in 2/4 of the series over Barkov, who has been pretty much perfect in his role all playoffs long, would make me feel like the latter is somehow still a bit underrated. It feels like recency bias.

I know this might sound like I'm shitting on Bob, but on the contrary. Hand him the keys to the city... I mean all of Florida, I love the guy! I just feel Barkov is more deserving this time, after watching every Panthers playoff game.

Bob the future HHOFer has been an absolute force out there in the finals, but he wasn't the difference maker in much of the previous series. And he didn't need to be, the Panthers skaters were. He just needed to give the team a chance to win, and he did just that and a bit more.
 
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