Ranking every Conn Smythe Trophy run in the 2010s
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player deemed to be most valuable during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A total of 47 different men have earned the award since its introduction in 1965, while netminder Patrick Roy has received the honor a record three times and became the youngest winner ever in 1986.
With the 2019-20 NHL season currently suspended, we're ranking every Conn Smythe performance from the last decade and including a signature moment for each recipient.
10. Sidney Crosby, Penguins (2015-16)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 20:26 | 58.74 |
You could argue that Phil Kessel should have claimed the Conn Smythe in the Penguins' first of back-to-back Cup runs. But while he tallied more goals and points than Crosby did, the captain's leadership and ability to perform in the clutch proved vital throughout the playoffs.
Thanks to Crosby's heroics, the Penguins narrowly escaped a grueling seven-game Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. All three of No. 87's game-winning goals that postseason came in this series, highlighted by a beautiful solo effort on the road in a must-win Game 6.
9. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks (2012-13)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 20:56 | 57.21 |
Kane's Conn Smythe Trophy season was ironically the least productive of his three Stanley Cup runs. But on a strange and unlikely path to the title - which saw grinder Bryan Bickell rank second on the Blackhawks in scoring - Chicago needed a hero, and Kane was up to the task.
The electric winger contributed five points in six games during the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, including a pair of tallies in the crucial Game 5.
However, Kane's signature moment came one round earlier in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Kings. With two goals already in the contest and the Blackhawks one win away from advancing, "Show Time" delivered the heartbreaker in double overtime to complete the hat trick and seal the series.
8. Justin Williams, Kings (2013-14)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 16:49 | 52.68 |
On a Kings team loaded with talent, Williams reigned supreme throughout the 2014 playoffs. He delivered at least five points in each round and played a significant role in helping the Kings erase a 3-0 series deficit against the San Jose Sharks with a pair of two-goal games.
"Mr. Game 7" also lived up to his moniker in the deciding contest of the Western Conference Final against the defending champion Blackhawks, scoring in the first period and dishing out the game-winning assist on Alec Martinez's overtime clincher.
Next, Williams' signature moment came when Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers went into extra time.
7. Ryan O'Reilly, Blues (2018-19)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 21:00 | 49.5 |
O'Reilly capped his Selke Trophy-winning regular season with a Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup to complete one of the greatest individual campaigns in St. Louis Blues history.
The 6-foot-1 pivot was an absolute menace throughout the postseason, sharing the league lead in points and pacing all Blues forwards in average ice time.
O'Reilly's final act was one for the books, as the Ontario native scored goals in four consecutive Stanley Cup Final contests - a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Wayne Gretzky in 1985. He netted five goals during that stretch, with the final tally breaking the deadlock in Game 7.
6. Sidney Crosby, Penguins (2016-17)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 19:24 | 50.38 |
"Sid the Kid" was sensational in the Penguins' second straight Stanley Cup run, leading all players in assists while ranking second in points and first among Pittsburgh forwards in average ice time.
Crosby caused headaches for every opponent, tallying at least six points in each series, including seven in five games against the rival Washington Capitals during Round 2 (he played just 2:11 in Game 3 before exiting with an injury).
It also didn't take long for Crosby to make an impact in the matchup with the Capitals. In a scoreless Game 1, he buried a pair of goals just 52 seconds apart to spark Pittsburgh's third consecutive series win over Washington in the Crosby-Ovechkin era.
5. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals (2017-18)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 20:44 | 55.76 |
After a decade of heartbreak, Ovechkin wouldn't let the Capitals be denied in the 2018 postseason. The "Great Eight" notched a playoff-leading 15 goals during his journey to hockey's summit - the highest total by a Conn Smythe recipient since Joe Sakic buried 18 in 1996.
Ovechkin, who recorded a point in every game of the final round against the Vegas Golden Knights, became the second Russian-born player to be named playoff MVP.
And though he found the net in the title-clinching contest against Vegas, Ovechkin's most important tally came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Capitals captain fired home his patented one-timer just 1:02 into the game, setting the stage for a 4-0 win over the top-seeded Lightning.
4. Duncan Keith, Blackhawks (2014-15)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 31:07 | 52.91 |
Keith redefined what it means to leave it all on the ice during his legendary Conn Smythe run. The tireless blue-liner became one of four players in the last 20 years to log at least 700 postseason minutes, playing more than 40 on three occasions. His most impressive outing came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, where he logged 49:51 in a triple-overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner also played a pivotal role offensively. Keith's 21 points tied Chris Chelios for the most by a Blackhawks defenseman in a single playoff run. Plus, all three of his goals were game-winners, with the final tally serving as the Stanley Cup clincher in Game 6 against the Lightning.
3. Tim Thomas, Bruins (2010-11)| Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-9 | 1.98 | .940 | 4 |
Thomas stifled his opponents for two straight months to become the 15th goaltender in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He remains the oldest player to earn the honor, doing so at 37 years old.
The puck-stopper was incredibly clutch, collecting shutouts in Game 7 of both the Eastern Conference Final and the Stanley Cup Final. In the championship round against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, Thomas allowed only eight goals in seven games.
His most memorable moment wasn't stopping the puck, however. Known for an unorthodox playing style and a short temper, Thomas cemented his place in the hearts of Bruins fans by flattening Canucks captain Henrik Sedin during Game 3 of the Cup Final.
2. Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks (2009-10)| GP | G | A | P | ATOI | xGF% (5-on-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 20:58 | 55.35 |
At just 22 years and 41 days old, Toews became the second-youngest player - and the youngest skater - in history to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy en route to his first of three Stanley Cups.
Toews' 29 playoff points tied a franchise best for a single postseason and ranked second among all players that year. The Blackhawks captain rode an incredible 13-game point streak into the Stanley Cup Final, where he added three more assists against the Philadelphia Flyers.
His defining moment came two rounds earlier. Toews torched the Canucks with a hat trick and five points on the road in Game 4 to give Chicago a 3-1 series lead. The Blackhawks eventually won that matchup in six games.
1. Jonathan Quick, Kings (2011-12)| Record | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-4 | 1.41 | .946 | 3 |
Quick's 2012 Conn Smythe run is simply unmatched. The 6-foot-1 netminder set modern-day playoff records with his sparkling 1.41 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, leading the eighth-seeded Kings on their Cinderella Stanley Cup run.
To break down his historic journey, consider the following: Quick allowed one or zero goals in half of his 20 postseason starts and never gave up more than three, conceding that number just twice. In the opening round against the league-best Canucks, Quick surrendered eight tallies through five games and recorded 40-plus saves in multiple appearances to help L.A. pull off the upset.
Relive Quick's monumental run through some of his highlights and the reactions of his teammates and coaches:
Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.