With Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the books, it's time to examine the early front-runners for the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. Even though Round 2 is already underway, we're only factoring in performances and stats from the opening round. We believe this provides a level playing field for players on teams who haven't begun their Round 2 series yet.
5. Alex Tuch, Sabres
| GP | G | A | ATOI | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 21:19 | 8 |
In theScore's Stanley Cup Playoff X-factors, published before the beginning of Round 1, we wrote about how Tuch, one of the few players on the Sabres with legitimate postseason experience, needed to deliver. It's safe to say he held up his end of the bargain.
Tuch set the tone in a series-clinching Game 6 by scoring the opening goal. He also assisted on the opening goal in a Game 4 win, and scored the winning goal in Game 3. Tuch contributed in all areas of the ice, including shorthanded, where he played the second-most minutes among Sabres forwards and helped Buffalo kill off 14 of 16 Bruins power plays.
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4. Scott Wedgewood, Avalanche
| Rec. | SV% | GAA | SO | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-0 | .950 | 1.21 | 0 | 7.18 |
Wedgewood allowed just five goals in a four-game sweep in Round 1. Sure, the matchup against the measly Kings offense wasn't overly daunting, but with Los Angeles limiting Colorado's vaunted offensive attack to just four goals over the first two games of the series, Wedgewood needed to be excellent out of the gate, and he was.
Even Games 3 and 4 - where the Avalanche combined to score nine goals - were extremely tight up until the third period before Colorado broke through. If Wedgewood had allowed a soft goal early, either game could have gone the other way.
3. Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes
| Rec. | SV% | GAA | SO | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-0 | .955 | 1.10 | 1 | 9.7 |
What a turnaround for Andersen. The 36-year-old was one of the worst goalies in the league during the regular season, posting an .874 save percentage. Many questioned head coach Rod Brind'Amour's decision to give Andersen the nod to begin the postseason over Brandon Bussi, who was Carolina's more effective goalie in the regular season.
But Andersen took his opportunity and ran with it, allowing just five goals in Carolina's four-game sweep of the Senators. The only goalie who stopped more goals above expected than Andersen in Round 1 was his counterpart, Linus Ullmark. In a low-scoring series, the margins for error for Andersen were extremely small, but he was exceptional.
2. Quinn Hughes, Wild
| GP | G | A | ATOI | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | 6 | 32:40 | 9 |
Hughes showed exactly why the Wild traded for him with his sensational performance in Round 1. He was a true workhorse, averaging the most ice time of any player in the league in the opening round, and dictating play at both ends of the ice.
He also deserves extra credit for performing as he did against the Stars - the toughest fallen opponent of Round 1 as the NHL's No. 3-ranked team during the regular season. Hughes also notably got better as the series went on. He came up extremely clutch when it mattered most, scoring a pair of goals while adding an assist in a series-clinching Game 6 victory.
1. Jackson LaCombe, Ducks
| GP | G | A | ATOI | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 8 | 27:00 | 6 |
Those who followed the Ducks closely this season know how good LaCombe already is, but Round 1 provided an opportunity for the 25-year-old defenseman to showcase his abilities on the national stage, and he did not disappoint.
LaCombe was frequently tasked with going head-to-head against Connor McDavid in a Round 1 meeting against the Edmonton Oilers, and he clearly won the matchup, posting a 65.34% expected goals share in the series. While McDavid was playing through a foot/ankle injury, he was limited to zero goals and three assists at even strength. He also posted a minus-8 rating.
But not only did LaCombe shut down McDavid, he was also a catalyst offensively, leading all Ducks skaters and all NHL defensemen in points in Round 1.
Honorable mentions: Matt Boldy, Rasmus Dahlin, Jakub Dobes, Logan Stankoven, Dan Vladar
(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)
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