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Update: The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired their GM and coaching staff...Mike Augello with story. be sure to check it out.
This is no shot at the Canadiens' Carey Price, of course. Price had an epic season. One for the ages. As good a season as any goalie in this epic franchise of epic goalies -- that's saying something -- and as a goalie my vote would be for Price with a big second to Nashville's Pekka Rinne.
All that aside, Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin has had an incredible season and has set up the Caps as one of the definite "teams to beat" in these playoffs.
Fifty three goals in 2014-15 is like 70 goals in most years. When you consider he finished a whole ten goals above his closest competitor and did so while playing a more complete game for the Caps it is hard to imagine a more valuable player. Ovechkin improved 45 points in plus/minus over last year, going from a minus-35 in 13-14 to a plus-10 this year.
If Sidney Crosby had scored 53 goals, 10 more than his closest competition, and gotten his team into the playoffs after a year gone I find it hard to believe he wouldn't have been a Hart favorite, and people wouldn't have been saying "Price was amazing, but goalie get their Vezinas...."
You know the deal.
So what does all this mean?
I really believe it is a combination of two NHL issues. 1. Ovechkin doesn't get enough credit, and 2. Crosby gets the benefit of the doubt perhaps.
What say you?