Posted on
5/25/2007 2:35:03 PM
NHL Playoff Odds - Stanley Cup MVP
By Curt Staley
Hockey fans hoping to catch some Stanley Cup final action this weekend are out of luck – the NHL won’t start its 2007 championship series until Monday night (with a puck drop of 8:00pm ET at the Honda Center in Anaheim). However, you can instead use the time to predict which Ottawa or Anaheim player will claim the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The Conn Smythe is awarded to the top performer during the NHL playoffs. Usually that trophy is given to a player on the Stanley Cup champion, but losers have gone home with the award in the past as well. In fact, Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere grabbed the Conn Smythe in 2003 when his team lost to the New Jersey Devils.
And Giguere is a top contender to win the trophy again this season; at BetUS.com he’s currently listed at +300 odds to be deemed the playoffs’ best player. Giguere is 9-3 for Anaheim in the playoffs, with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.
His Ottawa Senators counterpart, netminder Ray Emery, is also high on the odds chart at +500. Emery has a stellar 12-3 record in the postseason, with a 1.95 GAA and a .919 save percentage. However, the current Conn Smythe Trophy favorite is Senators forward and captain Daniel Alfredsson, who leads the postseason with ten goals (including the overtime winner against Buffalo). Alfredsson is listed at +200 odds to pick up the award.
Second after Alfredsson on the list is Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger, who leads his team in scoring with three goals and 11 assists in 15 games. Pronger is pegged at +400 odds to pick up the Conn Smythe. Teammate Teemu Selanne is just back at +500 odds.
Also at +500 is Senators forward Dany Heatley, who currently leads the playoffs in scoring with six goals and 15 assists in 15 games. Linemate Jason Spezza is behind him on the list at +1000 odds; Spezza has 20 points for Ottawa in the postseason. The other two Sens on the list right now are Wade Redden (+3000) and Mike Fisher (+5000).
Rounding out the list of Conn Smythe contenders are Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer (+1000) and Anaheim Ducks forward Andy McDonald (+2500).
If you like someone else to win the trophy, you can get The Field at +1500 odds. Tops in the unlisted grouping right now would be Anaheim forward Ryan Getzlaf, who has picked up five goals and eight assists so far in the playoffs, and is just one point back of Pronger.
Game 2 of the series will be played in Anaheim on Wednesday night, with Game 3 and Game 4 scheduled for Ottawa next Saturday and Monday. The Ducks will also be the home team for Game 5 (June 6) and Game 7 (June 11) if necessary, while the Sens would get a third home date for Game 6 (June 9).
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