Midway through the Stanley Cup playoffs, we've seen some great individual performances. A number of players have elevated their game and done more than their part in helping their teams advance further into the post-season.
Some are regular season stars that raised their level of play once the games really began to matter; some are lesser-known names with a penchant for coming up big when their teams need them; and some are veterans who are always relied upon to give the type of performance that makes their teammates better.
And while a team doesn't make it to the conference finals without a strong overall team effort, each of the four remaining teams have relied upon a key player or two to set the tempo night in and night out during the playoffs.
So our question to you is, at the half-way mark the post-season, who is the leading Conn Smythe Trophy candidate? As always, it's Your! Call.
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks alternate captain took his game to another level in the second round of the playoffs. Kesler was by far the best player on the ice for much of Vancouver's series with the Nashville Predators.
After being held scoreless in the series opener, Kesler recorded a point in each of the final five games and scored multiple points in four of them. The 26-year-old from Michigan finished the series with five goals and 11 points in six games.
Adding his four points in the Canucks' first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, Kesler is tied for first in playoff scoring with the Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk at 15 points.
With the Sedin twins still searching for their game, Kesler has taken over as the team leader and continues to set the tone for Vancouver.
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
With the way Thornton has been playing so far this post-season, it seems like ages ago the big centre carried a reputation for not showing up in the playoffs.
As the Sharks rely less and less on the big three of Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Patrick Marleau in favour of emerging stars like Joe Pavelski, Ryan Clowe, and Logan Couture, Jumbo Joe is reminding everybody that he still plays a major role in San Jose's successes.
The 31-year-old has been steady through the first two rounds and has 11 points through 13 games so far. As Marleau and, to a lesser extent, Heatley struggle for the Sharks this post-season, Thornton has shown the steady, strong play evocative of his Hart Trophy-winning season of 2005-06.
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
The odds-on favourite to win the Vezina Trophy, Thomas has carried his stellar regular season play into the post-season.
Thomas has an 8-3 record for the Bruins and is second among starting goalies in the playoffs with a 2.03 goals against average and a .937 save percentage.
The 37-year-old from Flint, Michigan provides the strong play that allows his teammates in front of him to play without worrying about making mistakes. Thomas is the type of goalie that can bail his team out and allow them to take more chances.
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
During the regular season, all the talk in Tampa was about Hart Trophy nominee Martin St. Louis, and the league's second leading goal scorer Steven Stamkos. But Lecavalier has rediscovered his game and is once again leading Lightning skaters in the playoffs. To be clear, Lecavalier was no slouch in the regular season, but he has elevated his game through the first two rounds of the post-season.
The 31-year-old former first overall draft pick is second on the Lightning and tied for sixth overall in playoff scoring with 12 points through 11 games.
He hasn't always lived up to the large contract he was awarded in the summer of 2008, but midway through the Eastern Conference playoffs, Lecavalier is looking a lot like the player that helped Tampa win their first Stanley Cup in 2004.
Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning
He did it in 2006, and he's doing it again this year. Roloson's play thus far in the playoffs is reminiscent of five seasons ago when he led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final.
This year Roloson leads all starting goalies in the playoffs with a 2.01 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that 'Roly' has faced the most shots in the post-season.
An injury ended his playoffs in 2006, but the 41-year-old Roloson has never lost an elimination game in the playoffs. The way he's been playing so far in the playoffs, he may not get a chance to put that mark on the line. And that would be just fine with the Lightning.
Some are regular season stars that raised their level of play once the games really began to matter; some are lesser-known names with a penchant for coming up big when their teams need them; and some are veterans who are always relied upon to give the type of performance that makes their teammates better.
And while a team doesn't make it to the conference finals without a strong overall team effort, each of the four remaining teams have relied upon a key player or two to set the tempo night in and night out during the playoffs.
So our question to you is, at the half-way mark the post-season, who is the leading Conn Smythe Trophy candidate? As always, it's Your! Call.
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks alternate captain took his game to another level in the second round of the playoffs. Kesler was by far the best player on the ice for much of Vancouver's series with the Nashville Predators.
After being held scoreless in the series opener, Kesler recorded a point in each of the final five games and scored multiple points in four of them. The 26-year-old from Michigan finished the series with five goals and 11 points in six games.
Adding his four points in the Canucks' first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, Kesler is tied for first in playoff scoring with the Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk at 15 points.
With the Sedin twins still searching for their game, Kesler has taken over as the team leader and continues to set the tone for Vancouver.
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
With the way Thornton has been playing so far this post-season, it seems like ages ago the big centre carried a reputation for not showing up in the playoffs.
As the Sharks rely less and less on the big three of Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Patrick Marleau in favour of emerging stars like Joe Pavelski, Ryan Clowe, and Logan Couture, Jumbo Joe is reminding everybody that he still plays a major role in San Jose's successes.
The 31-year-old has been steady through the first two rounds and has 11 points through 13 games so far. As Marleau and, to a lesser extent, Heatley struggle for the Sharks this post-season, Thornton has shown the steady, strong play evocative of his Hart Trophy-winning season of 2005-06.
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
The odds-on favourite to win the Vezina Trophy, Thomas has carried his stellar regular season play into the post-season.
Thomas has an 8-3 record for the Bruins and is second among starting goalies in the playoffs with a 2.03 goals against average and a .937 save percentage.
The 37-year-old from Flint, Michigan provides the strong play that allows his teammates in front of him to play without worrying about making mistakes. Thomas is the type of goalie that can bail his team out and allow them to take more chances.
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
During the regular season, all the talk in Tampa was about Hart Trophy nominee Martin St. Louis, and the league's second leading goal scorer Steven Stamkos. But Lecavalier has rediscovered his game and is once again leading Lightning skaters in the playoffs. To be clear, Lecavalier was no slouch in the regular season, but he has elevated his game through the first two rounds of the post-season.
The 31-year-old former first overall draft pick is second on the Lightning and tied for sixth overall in playoff scoring with 12 points through 11 games.
He hasn't always lived up to the large contract he was awarded in the summer of 2008, but midway through the Eastern Conference playoffs, Lecavalier is looking a lot like the player that helped Tampa win their first Stanley Cup in 2004.
Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning
He did it in 2006, and he's doing it again this year. Roloson's play thus far in the playoffs is reminiscent of five seasons ago when he led the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final.
This year Roloson leads all starting goalies in the playoffs with a 2.01 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that 'Roly' has faced the most shots in the post-season.
An injury ended his playoffs in 2006, but the 41-year-old Roloson has never lost an elimination game in the playoffs. The way he's been playing so far in the playoffs, he may not get a chance to put that mark on the line. And that would be just fine with the Lightning.
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