There are potentially 16 Stanley Cup playoff games remaining and most will have significant impact as to who wins the Conn Smythe MVP Trophy.  

With 74 games complete, here are my leading candidates for the prestigious award which of course can change as “Quick” as Jonathan makes another save:  

Front-runners: 

Dustin Brown (LA): Has been the ultimate captain, power forward and two way player. In the Kings first 11 games, Brown notched 7 goals and 7 assists and was a league-high plus 11 to go along with 24 penalty minutes. In addition, he notched a league high three game winning goals, two shorthanded goals and had a key assist in another Kings shorthanded tally. Brown has used his physical presence to punish the Canucks, Blues and Coyotes with bone-jarring, game changing hits. 

Henrik Lundqvist (NYR): Has been the backbone of the team all season and Mr. Clutch in the playoffs. Lundqvist is 3-0 when his team has faced elimination, with a 1.33 GAA and .948 save percentage in those games. He is also 3-0 (with a total of three goals against) in the opening game of a series. The Rangers are averaging slightly more than two goals per game which doesn’t allow Lundqvist much room for error.

 Dark-horses: 

Jonathan Quick (LA): He allowed two goals or fewer in 9 of his first 11 games and one goal or less in five. Despite giving up a 98 foot slap shot goal to Derek Morris, Quick had a superb 1.45 GAA and
.951 save percentage after the Kings 4-0 triumph in Phoenix. The Blues only scored six times in a four game sweep. His confidence rubs off on his teammates and that’s an intangible that should not be overlooked. 

Mike Smith (Phoenix): The 30-year old goalie is largely responsible for the Coyotes advancing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the team arrived in Phoenix in 1996. He stopped 379 of 400 shots (36.4 per game) in the first two rounds for a 1.77 GAA and a .948 save percentage.
The Coyotes were outshot in 11 of their first 13 playoff games which is an example that Smith does not have the surrounding cast of the other three starting goalies left in the post-season. 

Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia): Did you actually believe Flyers GM Paul Holmgren when he stated “His job is to stop pucks and help us win games. It’s not Comedy Central.” Actually I do find it quite hilarious that Bryzgalov posted a whopping 3.46 GAA and an underwhelming .887 save percentage. Oh well, he still has eight more years on his contract to figure it all out. With over $50 million coming his way, the joke is certainly on the Flyers.

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I am unsure if I can draw conclusions but it’s interesting to note that the NHL Western Conference Finalists, Phoenix and Los Angeles have rosters filled with Canadian born players while the Eastern Conference Finalists, the New York Rangers and New Jersey have a mix of nationalities on their teams. 

The Coyotes have used 22 skaters in the playoffs while the other three teams have gone with 20. Add the four starting goalies and four back-ups and that brings a total of 90. Nearly half (42) are Canadians while the rest breaks down to 26 Europeans and 22 Americans. (As a side note, three of the four captains are from the U.S. and one (Shane Doan) is from Canada). 

A closer look at the four teams shows that the Coyotes have 16 Canadians, 7 Europeans and only one American (Keith Yandle). The Kings are stocked with 13 Canadians, 6 Americans and just three Euros.

 It’s quite a different story in the East as the Rangers have 8 Canadians, 8 Americans and 6 Europeans. The Devils on the other hand, only have 5 Canadians to go along with 10 Europeans and 7 Americans.
Another way to analyze this is 71 per cent of the players left chasing the Stanley Cup are North Americans (64 out of 90). This again is a reflection of the times as it wasn’t that many years ago when the final four would have had at least 71 per cent of the participants Canadian.

From the Quote Rack: 

The world’s oldest yoga teacher is still going strong at 93. His name—-Maharishi Mahesh Moyer.

In a letter to retirees, the NFL cites a medical study that says former players live longer than men in the general population. The study also concluded that there is no link between cigarette smoking and cancer.

Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California 

Sunday was Mother’s Day. It makes me feel a little creepy, but I think Delonte West called LeBron James’ mom.

NBA commissioner David Stern says he wants the flopping to stop. And, he’s not even talking about the women anxiously waiting outside the locker room doors.
Comedy writer Jerry Perisho http://monologuewriter.blogspot.com/

NBA commissioner David Stern, on allegations of “flopping” by the Miami Heat. “I think it’s time to look at (it) in a more serious way. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies.” Unless of course our MVP’s are doing the acting.

Much excitement on ESPN etc. that Tiger Woods made the cut last weekend and at least finished the Players’ Championship. Wow. So finishing is now a goal? Woods has gone from Jack Nicklaus to Danica Patrick.

Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, Californiawww.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

Josh Hamilton set an all-time AL single-game mark with 18 total bases—four homers and a double. The last guy to get past first base that often in one night was Tiger Woods.

Reuters reports a British man spent five years building a high-performance vehicle from scratch—despite being blind. So what’s Leafs GM Brian Burke’s excuse?

Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com         

Two jurors have been dismissed during the Roger Clemens trial for falling asleep. You’d think Brian McNamee would inject these guys with some Red Bull.

Watching PGA golfer Kevin Na this weekend, it’s obvious why he’s not playing pro basketball. 24 second shot clock.

Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)

 A BC couple was given $8000 by a BC court when it was determined their health was compromised by second hand smoke. The court says it was to be expected to have cigarette and marijuana smoke in the complex but the burning of Roberto Luongo fan membership cards was "cruel and unusual".

Police in BC are concerned recent Cougar sightings are a sign of bigger problems. The Cougars are relentless, aggressive and are often seen around hockey arenas, usually on off game Jr. Hockey days.

Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgaryhttp://smacksport.blogspot.com 

And in case you missed it: 

Tim Tebow has changed the name of his dog from “Bronco” to “Bronx” even though the Jets play in the Jersey, Meadowlands. It’s good to see the cross-country move didn’t affect his accuracy.

Comedy writer Marc Ragovin of New York

 Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com.