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Five Thoughts: Steve Downie’s amazing case for Conn Smythe consideration

Steve Downie

With the second round really under way and rolling along now, heroes are starting to emerge around the playoffs. While one guy in San Jose doesn’t totally surprise us, there’s a name in Tampa Bay that has us floored as to how well he’ stepped up for the Lightning. It’s a bit too early to start projecting doom for some teams in the second round, but we do have a few thoughts.

1. It’s just one game, but the Tampa Bay Lightning’s plan of frustrating the hell out of their opponents is working like a charm right now. It may have been a 4-2 win but once the Lightning tool the lead at 3-2 thanks to Steve Stamkos’ goal the remainder of the game became an exercise in frustration for the Caps. Tampa Bay isn’t well know for their defensive abilities for one reason or another but they’re able to get in the face of their opponents and make life difficult. They held the Penguins to 1-35 on the power play in the first round and they kept the Capitals frustrated going 0-5 on the man advantage.

While the Lightning don’t want to keep going down by a man so often or so needlessly, perhaps it’s time we start tossing some praise the way of their penalty kill for how their opponents are struggling.

2. It’s just one game for the Caps but last night’s Game 1 is the sort of game they can get caught up in now and again. It was up and down on the scoreboard, but every goal is a fight to get and mistakes make the situation what it is. Last night’s loss to Tampa Bay is just how every game of this series could end up looking like. Taking care of the puck and staying out of the penalty box becomes that much more important. The Capitals don’t have reason to be worried just yet as dropping the first game, while not optimal, isn’t a back breaker. They did learn right away, however, just what it’s like to deal with the tough Lightning.

3. Steve Downie the Conn Smythe candidate? Could be. Through eight games in the playoffs Downie has two goals and seven assists good for nine points. Nine points ties him with Claude Giroux for second in the playoffs for points just one behind Mike Cammalleri who won’t be getting any more points the rest of the way. Normally when people think of Downie they think of the agitator with a hot streak a mile wide that would happily fight your grandmother if he perceived injustice at her hands on the ice. Downie putting most of the cheap stuff away and being a productive player has been huge for Tampa Bay.

4. If Game 1 between Detroit and San Jose is any indication, we’re in for a doozy of a series. Tight checking, tight scoring, and a matter of small breaks here and there making all the difference. Benn Ferriero getting the overtime winner after his shot glanced off of Brad Stuart’s stick is just an example of the little things that can happen to help change a series. Detroit played well for a good part of the game, but allowing San Jose to get more than 40 shots on goal against them is the Wings’ way of playing with fire. Jimmy Howard played great last night, but they need to give him more support in both goals scored and giving him a break from seeing all that rubber.

5. Forgive us if our man-crush on Joe Pavelski continues to grow. Another goal last night in tying the game up in the third and he continues to score big goals for the Sharks. A lot of folks got on Pavelski’s case for not having a big regular season but if he keeps this up no one will be thinking about that ever again. With four goals in the playoffs so far he’s not setting the world on fire there so much either, but having them all come at the right time will help him continue to build quite the legacy. Considering that some of the Sharks’ other big stars aren’t really rolling offensively, it just makes Pavelski look all the more important.