Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player. Staal had 12 points in the playoffs, but saved his best for the biggest moment, posting seven of those points — six goals, one assist — in the final series.
Though it was the second-lowest points total for a forward to win the Conn Smythe, Staal's play on both ends of the ice was critical to the Canes success. He set a faceoff win-percentage record for the playoffs. The Hurricanes' top penalty killer, opponents only scored six power-play goals in the playoffs on 68 opportunities — a 91.8 percent kill rate.
Staal, 37, is the oldest player to ever win the Conn Smythe and also set the record for longest time between his first and second Stanley Cup wins — 17 years, winning with the Penguins in 2009.
My take: So well-deserved. It speaks to the Hurricanes as a team — the team Staal leads — that no one player was so dominant that it was a no-brainer on who would win MVP, getting contributions up and down the roster. A dominant Final for Staal shined a light on all the other ways he contributed. Not gonna lie, I was getting a bit emotional watching him hoist the Cup again. One of my favorite Penguins and NHL players ever.
THE ASYLUM
Staal wins the Conn Smythe
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player. Staal had 12 points in the playoffs, but saved his best for the biggest moment, posting seven of those points — six goals, one assist — in the final series.
Though it was the second-lowest points total for a forward to win the Conn Smythe, Staal's play on both ends of the ice was critical to the Canes success. He set a faceoff win-percentage record for the playoffs. The Hurricanes' top penalty killer, opponents only scored six power-play goals in the playoffs on 68 opportunities — a 91.8 percent kill rate.
Staal, 37, is the oldest player to ever win the Conn Smythe and also set the record for longest time between his first and second Stanley Cup wins — 17 years, winning with the Penguins in 2009.
My take: So well-deserved. It speaks to the Hurricanes as a team — the team Staal leads — that no one player was so dominant that it was a no-brainer on who would win MVP, getting contributions up and down the roster. A dominant Final for Staal shined a light on all the other ways he contributed. Not gonna lie, I was getting a bit emotional watching him hoist the Cup again. One of my favorite Penguins and NHL players ever.
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