How much of a Conn Smythe's winner performance based on the first three series and the final one?

HAHAHA Crosby? That is sad, if a penguin gets it, it will be Malkin. The guy gets no respect. Gets paid almost 10x less than Crosby (9,000,000 vs. 984,000), outplays him in the regular season and the playoffs, but yet Crosby is the face of the NHL. You can't be the face of the NHL if you are not the best player on your team... what a joke

In theory it is supposed to be the playoffs as a whole, however there is always a what have you done for me lately in the voters mind so the finals may get more weight.

Generally the winner is from the winning team, the few exceptions I can think of are goalies.

Giguere in 2003 when the Ducks lost in the finals but Giguere was the only reason they got there and,

Hextall in 87 for the same reason

Leach won on the losing team in 76, I think that was the year he had 19 goals a playoff record.

Hall and Crozier also won I think on a losing team in the 60's.

If the Wings win it is probably Osgood's honor (maybe Franzen or Zetterberg.

If the Pens win, it will be tough to choose between Malkin and Crosby. Malkin is the man in this series but was MIA in times in the Cap series where Crosby was the reason they advanced.

The voters may take the easy way out and give it to Fleury

Well, honestly it goes with a combination of both. I find that it is mainly who steps up the most in the playoffs. If you go back to 2004 when the Lightning won the cup, Ruslan Fedotenko was the most dominant force in the finals but yet Brad Richards won. Brad Richards was the one that carried them to the finals. So it really varies on who steps up. Also, don't think that someone on the Stanley Cup champion team will win it either. J.S. Giguere won it back in 2003 and he was on the losing side with the Ducks. I say based on the series so far, it either goes to Malkin or Osgood. I say Malkin will win if he scores at least 3 goals in the next 2 or 3 games and has a working point total. And I say Osgood if the Red Wings shut out the Pens at some point, which will be a huge momentum booster. Whoever wins Game 5, takes the series.

Sidney Crosby has UNDOUBTEDLY been the best player this postseason. YES^^^ He has been BETTER than Malkin, by heads and tails in fact (a joke?)..........Malkin has been up and down, Crosby has been consistently the best player of ANY team.

Ask LITY who he thinks has been the Pens/playoffs best player....I have not heard his opinion but I am willing to BET you that someone who KNOWS the game would agree.....Crosby in a landslide has been the best player throughout!

"Primary" assists and "secondary" assists.........there is NO such stat.....assists are assists.......one doesn't matter any more than the other.

As CDN fan said, it is PLAYOFF MVP not FINALS MVP! He also has a point about it being fresh in the minds and a KEY goal CAN sway a close vote.......for instance, if Malkin were to score in OT in Game 7........it would sway the voters AND make them forget how poorly he played against Philly and how he would disappear for long stretches in the Washington Series.

To the Wings poster above me.........Why do you suppose that Babcock and the Wings put all of the effort into slowing Crosby down? Why does he insist that Zetterberg and Lidstrom be on the ice when Crosby is?? Not when Malkin is? WHY? Why did every club do the same? Malkin SHOULD be getting his..........Crosby is drawing the tough assignments. Malkin makes the MAXIMUM he is allowed to make PLUS 3MM in bonuses and then he makes 9 MM NEXT YEAR.......I mean....only an idiot would bring salary into it when the guy makes the MAX. LOL....you are the JOKE.

I'd say about NONE of either performance is what is what is getting it for Crosby. It's the NAME. To be honest I'd give it to Malkin over Crosby. Although I would have given it to Fluery last year. Sure he was on the losing side, but who did more for their team? He stood on his head and was the only reason the Penguins were in it against the Red Wings last year, not to mention a good playoffs leading to that series. Seriously would you pick Ozzy for the Red Wings best this year in the playoffs? It's the name first.

One must Play well in all the series but be outstanding in the finals.

Malkin if the Pens win

Osgood if the Wings win

IMHO

Crosby unless he wins the finals 2 games for the Pens is on the outside looking in.

I wouldn't pick crosby, osgood, malkin or fleury! i would pick dan cleary or johan franzen!