The race for MVP is tight in today's NHL. While there is only one player with more than 100 points, many players make their case for the Hart Trophy. All three nominees are captains' of their respective teams,and all three lead their team to the postseason. In a league that has the hardest hits in the world, it's even harder to win a trophy, but we'll breakdown who was nominated and why and some notable players who didn't make the cut.
First is Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks. Getzlaf had 87 points in the regular season, he lead the Ducks in scoring and was a member of the Gold winning Canadien Oylmpic team. Getlaf played in 77 games and has also been key in Anaheim's postseason push. Before Game 4, Getzlaf had 3 goals 11 points in 8 games played. Getzlaf took a slapshot to the face and welcomed in a new member to his family when his wife gave birth during the first round. Getzlaf played hard despite going through some difficult times and continues to produce. Why he should win: Getzlaf led the Ducks in scoring which obviously is a key factor but he's a hardnosed player and plays a strong physical game, something not many Hart nominees often do.
Second is Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers. Giroux had 86 points in 82 games and just like Getzlaf led his team in scoring. Before the Flyers were eliminated by the Rangers, Giroux had 6 points in 7 games. Giroux tied his career high mark of 28 goals in one season and was a key factor in the Flyers resurgence after a slow start to the season. Philadelphia started the season with a 3-9-0 record and Giroux constantly found himself without a point. But once he found his game, so did the Flyers. Fastforward to April and the Flyers are in the playoffs. Why he should win: The reasons listed above basically describe why. He helped the Flyers make a comeback and also was able to play the whole season. Giroux is also a tough player and isn't afraid to drop the gloves if he needs to.
Finally is the posterboy of the NHL: Sidney Crosby. Crosby, like Giroux and Getzlaf led his team in scoring with 104 points in 80 games. He was the only player to reach the 100 point mark and was able to avoid injuries like those to his head that had kept him out so many times in recent years. Crosby led the League in assists and has 1 goal and 9 points in 11 playoff games. Crosby has had trouble scoring playoff goals recently but he's still pitching in. Why he should win: Crosby is viewed by almost all hockey analyst as the best player in the world and had a 17 point lead over the next person in the scoring category (who happens to be Ryan Getlaf). Crosby can produce and come up big for his team.
Out of the three, Crosby is the favorite to win the trophy. Of course there are other players who could've easily been taken into consideration. Notable players could be Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars, Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning and had he not been injured at the end of the season, Jonathan Bernier of the Maple Leafs.
Author's opinion: This author feels that Giroux should win the trophy. Giroux and Flyers goaltender Steve Mason were the only reasons Philadelphia made it to the postseason. Getzlaf had a great season but the Ducks probably would've been okay had he not been there for part of the season. The same goes for Crosby. The Penguins are basically a team of all-stars. They have offensive capabilities in Evgeni Malkin and an all around good defense. Not to mention Marc-Andre Fleury's regular season performance. The simple fact is that without Giroux, we may not have seen the Flyers in the postseason.