For the second update in a row we have a new leader in the Conn Smythe race. This time it is Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov taking over the top spot with what has been, to this point, one of the most productive and impactful postseason runs we have seen in recent NHL memory.
He is not just recording points, he is taking over games.
Kuznetsov, of course, does not care about any of this right now because there is still a pretty big job to do before the award actually gets handed out to somebody. Following the Capitals’ Game 4 win on Monday night he was asked if he cared about winning the Conn Smythe and simply said “What’s that going to get you? Nothing, right?”
This does not mean that we can not talk about it.
To the rankings!
1. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals. His production has been insanely consistent for the Capitals this postseason with at least one point in 18 of the team’s 23 playoff games, including 13 of the past 14 games heading into Game 5 on Thursday night. The only game during that stretch where he did not record a point was the game where he only played four minutes before leaving with what seemed to be a pretty significant upper-body injury that seemingly put at least part of the series in doubt for him. Whatever it was, it was not significant enough to keep him out of the lineup for Games 3 and 4 where he combined for six points, including four in the Capitals’ 6-2 rout on Monday night.
His 31 total points are not only the most in the NHL this postseason, but also put him among the top-25 best performances in NHL history for a single playoff run. Considering the era he is playing in it is even more impressive. Among the players in the top-25 only four of them, including Kuznetsov, came after 1994: Evgeni Malkin had 36 in 2008-09, Sidney Crosby had 31 that same year, and Joe Sakic had 34 in 1995-96. Among players that have played in at least 20 playoff games in a single postseason his 1.17 point per game mark is tied for the 15th best all-time. The overall production does not even get into the big goals that he has scored along the way, including a series-clinching overtime goal in the second round and what proved to be a game-winning goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
It is not just the consistency or the “big moment goals” that is impressive. He has also had monster games where he has completely taken over. He already has four three-point games this postseason, including a pair of four-point games, two things that only a small handful of players have done in Stanley Cup Playoff history. Even though he did not actually score the game-winning goal in any of those games he still probably helped single-handedly created enough offense to get his team wins. In those four games he produced 14 of his 31 points this postseason, with 11 of them being primary points, meaning he either scored the goal or had the primary assist on another.
Why does that matter? Just consider that since the start of the 2000 postseason teams that have a player record at least three points in a playoff game win that game more than 90 percent of the time. When they have a player with a four-point game they win more than 93 percent of the time.
Game-winning goals. Driving the offense. Point totals that are nearly unmatched for this era. Dominating games. He is the definition of impactful.
[Related: Evgeny Kuznetsov’s impact on Capitals, Stanley Cup Final grows]
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals. When I sat down to start writing this update I was prepared to keep Ovechkin in the top spot because, well, he has been absolutely phenomenal this postseason. But when I dug into the Kuznetsov performance a little more it was enough to change my mind. That does not take away from what Ovechkin is doing because right now, if the Capitals end up winning the Stanley Cup, it is probably a two-player race at the top. Ovechkin and Kuznetsov are the two players.
3. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals. It is still somewhat baffling to look back at the start of these playoffs and remember that Braden Holtby, owner of the second highest postseason save percentage in NHL history, started the postseason on the bench. He has a .923 save percentage entering Game 5, recorded back-to-back shutouts to get his team to the Stanley Cup Final when they were facing elimination in the Eastern Conference Final and has a .920 save percentage through the first four games of this series, including .945 in the Capitals’ three wins to this point. He also made that pretty big save in Game 2.
4. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights. At the start of the series I argued that barring a collapse in the series Fleury might have a strong case to win the award whether the Golden Knights win it all or not. In four games he has yet to record a save percentage higher than .885 in any single game.
5. Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights. His point production has dried up in the Stanley Cup Final but he has been the one Vegas forward that has looked consistently dangerous in the series, already recording 20 shots on goal plus one shot off the post early in Game 4. Still, he is a big reason the Golden Knights are here and has been the the player driving their great first line.
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
• Stanley Cup Final schedule
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.