Brophy on NHL: Conn Smythe candidates

Tim Thomas all the rage in the Stanley Cup final.

The Boston Bruins scrappy, yet very likeable goaltender is the odd-on favorite to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in the playoffs — win or lose. Thomas would have to completely self-destruct in the next game or two to lose it.

The fact of the matter is, nobody at this stage of the game is even close to him.

Here are sportsnet.ca’s Top 5 candidates for the Conn Smythe:

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins: Having allowed just six goals in five in the Stanley Cup final, Thomas has positioned himself to add to his hardware collection. The 37-year-old veteran has already made room for a second Vezina Trophy in his trophy case since he’s the leading candidate to win it. Despite a few shaky outings against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference final, Thomas has been rock solid in the post-season as the Bruins have battled through injuries to key players to keep their dream of winning the Stanley Cup alive. Should Vancouver win the Cup and Thomas be named playoff MVP, he would be the fifth player from the losing team (and fourth goaltender) to take home the trophy.

David Krejci, Boston Bruins: Very quietly Bruins centre David Krejci has climbed to the top of the scoring race, thanks in large part to Henrik Sedin’s inability to produce a single point in the final. It would take a couple of monster games for Krejci to steal the Conn Smythe from the grasp of his team’s goaltender, but we have certainly seen some strange things happen in this year’s playoffs. Back-to-back hat tricks could convince some voters to lean in his direction.

Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks: Yes it’s very hard to wipe those two embarrassing losses in Boston from one’s memory, but it shouldn’t go unnoticed that Luongo leads the playoffs in wins with 15 and shutouts with four, including two in the final. If Luongo shuts out the Bruins in Game 6 on Monday, he will certain deserve plenty of consideration for the award.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins: If the Bruins come back to win the Cup and the Sedin brothers continue to be non-factors on offence, then big Zdeno Chara should receive strong consideration for the award. Chara has chipped in on offence with two goals and nine points and has a playoff-high plus-13 rating.

Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks: The Livonia, MI, native entered the final as one of the favorites to be named MVP, but he has disappeared since. He had an assist in Game 1 and has been held pointless the past four games. It would take a monumental outing for Kesler to pass those who are ahead of him now. But hey, a third game-winning goal and perhaps a second overtime tally might just do it.

LAST WEEK: Roberto Luongo; Vancouver, Ryan Kesler; Vancouver, Alex Burrows; Vancouver, Henrik Sedin; Vancouver, Tim Thomas; Boston