By Allan Muir, SI.com
1. Tomas Holmstrom, Red Wings: Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly ... and the Dallas defense gotta figure out how to prevent Holmstrom from planting his big Swedish behind in Marty Turco's grill or this could be a real short series. In predictable fashion, Holmstrom was an immoveable object in Game 1, especially on the power play. He made life miserable for Turco, screening him expertly on a pair of goals, one of which the big winger deflected in himself.
2. Niklas Kronwall, Red Wings: He chipped in with a pair of assists, including a power-play point blast that was tipped home by Johan Franzen early in the first that stood as the game-winner. But it was his physical play that helped set the tone for a Detroit effort that left the Stars demoralized. His nasty (and borderline illegal) open ice hit on Antti Miettinen midway through the second is earmarked for an appearance in Don Cherry's next Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em video.
3. Johan Franzen, Red Wings: Another game, another goal. The most prolific scorer of the playoffs used his big body and suddenly soft hands to make it an even dozen in 11 games. Franzen now has scored in five straight postseason contests, tying a Red Wings franchise record set by Gordie Howe. Anyone want to bet that he doesn't break the mark on Saturday?
Notable Conn Smythe Winners
Comments (11)
I would have liked to see a star handed out to Osgood. He made some fantastic saves to keep Dallas down early. A quick goal would have allowed the Stars back in with some confidence, but with Ozzie playing his game tonight, Dallas had no shot. He made big saves, ordinary saves, and well-timed saves. He's becoming the playoff goalie Detroit has needed the past couple of years.
HerbieNP | 05/08/08, 11:12 PM
Report Offensive CommentGood call, Herbie. Ozzie has been playing very,very good.
ALhockeyman | 05/09/08, 12:17 AM
Report Offensive CommentAgreed. Perhaps the most underrated goalie in the league. Sure, he's got a great team in front of him, but hockey is a game played on the margins -- one goal can change everything.
Spkill | 05/09/08, 08:51 AM
Report Offensive CommentI can't figure out why Osgood hasn't been in the discussion for Conn Smythe.
7-0 record
1.46 GAA
.939 SV%
Tops in the playoffs in all three.
Remember, Hasek started the playoffs between the pipes and the Wings looked highly vulnerable to another early playoff exit. Osgood stepped in and flipped that vulnerability into invincibility.
RP-29 | 05/09/08, 11:40 AM
Report Offensive CommentConn Smyth has never gone to someone who wasn't in the finals. That trophy will start to come up in conversation in the next round.
The hit last night in the second was clean - only after Kronwall hit the player were his feet in the air. That is because the Dallas player tried to minimize the impact by shrinking away from Nik at the last second.
Brave Sir Robin | 05/09/08, 11:48 AM
Report Offensive CommentAnd if Ozzie is one of the three stars, who would be left out? (Homer?, Korny?, Franzen?) When you have more than three players with exceptional games, the three stars assignment doesn't mean as much.
Appleseed | 05/09/08, 11:50 AM
Report Offensive CommentActually, Brave Sir Robin, the Conn Smythe has been in discussion by media outlets the moment the final four were decided. Sports media spend more time speculating future outcomes than reporting past outcomes.
See:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/rank?versionId=1&listId=121
RP-29 | 05/09/08, 12:07 PM
Report Offensive CommentOf course, that link actually included Osgood as a candidate. I just made myself look like an idiot.
RP-29 | 05/09/08, 12:11 PM
Report Offensive CommentAllan Muir, along with his four other SI.com hockey buddies, predicted the Conn Smythe April 9th.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/allan_muir/04/09/playoff.bracket/index.html
Sorry guys but Joe Thornton [3 votes], Chris Pronger and Ryan Getzlaf are watching the conference finals from their yachts.
RP-29 | 05/09/08, 12:19 PM
Report Offensive CommentHe is still considered a back-up which shouldn't matter but it does. he also had a great regular season. GO OZZIE!!!!!
Hockytown | 05/09/08, 06:23 PM
Report Offensive CommentHe is still considered a back-up which shouldn't matter but for some reason it does, plus he had a great regular season. GO OZZIE!!!!!
Hockytown | 05/09/08, 06:25 PM
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