Aside from planting a big ol' kiss on Lord Stanley, the Conn Smythe Trophy is the piece of postseason hardware all NHLers covet.
And while there's obviously no denying the Cup is what matters most, taking home the award for playoff MVP almost always means a player's team ultimately emerged victorious.
As of Friday, only the Vegas Golden Knights have punched a ticket to the second round, so we're well aware it's very early. But still, these five studs already stand above the rest.
Here is the first edition of our Conn Smythe Power Rankings:
No. 5 - Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
Anaheim's goose might already be simmering, but the San Jose Sharks' 3-0 series lead isn't just due to the Ducks struggling. Instead, it's indicative of how nasty San Jose netminder Martin Jones has been through the first three contests.
Sure, the Sharks' 8-1 blowout victory in Game 3 doesn't look like a contest dominated by a goaltender, but Jones turned aside 45 of 46 shots and kept the momentum from swinging in Anaheim's favor. He also held the Ducks to only two goals through the first six periods of the series, earning a shutout in Game 1 and limiting Ryan Getzlaf and Co. to only two tallies in Game 2.
Simply put, Jones has been lights out, posting a seriously stellar save percentage of .970 while allowing just three goals on 101 shots.
Not to take anything away from the team playing in front of him, but Jones has been the major reason why San Jose has Anaheim on the brink, making him a lock for our list.
No. 4 - David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins were in video-game mode for the first two contests of their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, pouring in 12 combined goals.
A big reason was forward David Pastrnak, who may as well dress up as a straw for Halloween, as he's been the one stirring Boston's offense. He has four goals and five assists overall, and put up six of those points in Game 2.
David Pastrnak (21 years, 324 days) of the @NHLBruins is the youngest player in NHL history to record 6+ points in a playoff game, eclipsing the mark set by Wayne Gretzky (22 years, 81 days) in Game 3 of the 1983 Division Finals (4-3—7 at CGY). #NHLStats #TORvsBOS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/rLWrPCm61H
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 15, 2018
Boston's top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Pastrnak was one of the most dominant units in the league all season. And thanks to Pastrnak's torrid playoff start, it's continued to wreak havoc against Toronto.
No. 3 - Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets
How's that Brandon Saad trade looking now, Chicago?
OK. We've been down that road before. But seriously, Panarin was sensational for the Columbus Blue Jackets over the last two months of the regular season, and he's continued to be in the playoffs.
He was directly involved with more than 60 percent of the Blue Jackets' total offensive output in the first three games of their series against the Washington Capitals, registering seven points and a game-winning overtime tally.
And even though Washington won on Tuesday to make it a 2-1 series in Columbus' favor, Panarin was again one of the best forwards on the ice.
If the Blue Jackets are going to complete the first-round upset, Panarin will need to continue being the offensive catalyst he's been so far.
No. 2 - Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Sid's case to earn the title of postseason MVP is getting stronger with each passing Penguins win. And with the way Crosby is playing right now, Pittsburgh could be in for a whole lot more Ws.
Related: Crosby not surprised Flyers fans put pictures of his face in arena urinals
Regardless of how hard Philadelphia Flyers fans try to distract him from doing his thing, Crosby continues to produce, racking up four goals and three assists across three games while being a force at both ends of the ice.
Sidney Crosby of the @penguins recorded his 14th career postseason game with 3+ points.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 16, 2018
Only teammate Evgeni Malkin (16) has posted more such outings since Crosby made his League debut in 2005-06. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Ye8YtpeFAx
The series against Philly is far from over, but it's safe to say that if Pittsburgh finds itself playing for the Stanley Cup again come June, you can count on Crosby being in the mix to add a third Conn Smythe to his already loaded trophy case.
No. 1 - Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights continue to write their Hollywood-type story, and the man with the pen right now is Marc-Andre Fleury.
Thursday night in Los Angeles, "Flower" registered his second shutout in four games en route to the first postseason series win in franchise history (in the team's inaugural campaign, of course). Check out his numbers across the four games against the Kings - let's just say he's been feeling it:
| Game | Shots against | Saves | SV% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | 30 | 30 | 1.000 | Shutout Win |
| Game 2 | 30 | 29 | .967 | Win |
| Game 3 | 39 | 37 | .949 | Win |
| Game 4 | 31 | 31 | 1.000 | Shutout Win |
Even more impressive is that Fleury's Game 4 shutout was the 12th of his illustrious postseason career, moving him into a tie with Hall of Fame netminder Terry Sawchuk for 10th on the all-time playoff shutouts list.
The feel-good story of the decade continues to get better, and with Fleury protecting his blue paint like a Vegas pit boss defends his dealers, don't be shocked if he and the Golden Knights are eventually in line for both pieces of coveted playoff hardware.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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