Montreal Canadiens: Why Carey Price should win the Hart Trophy
Although Nikita Kucherov is likely to run away with the Hart Trophy, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has made his case as the true deserving winner.
If it weren’t for another sensational season from Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens would likely be in the NHL draft lottery race and not in contention to get back into the playoffs. As usual, he has masked the many flaws of this Montreal team.
Price has a 30-22-5 with a 2.54 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, to go along with three shutouts. He has a good shot at winning the second Vezina Trophy of his career after winning his first back in the 2014-15 season.
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That same season, Price won the lone Hart Trophy of his career. He won 44 games, posted a jaw-dropping .933 save percentage and superb 1.96 goals against average. Price finished the season with nine shutouts and led an otherwise unimpressive Canadiens squad to an Atlantic Division title.
Though Price’s 2018-19 campaign isn’t anything close to his career-best dominant 2014-15 season, No. 31 should be considered a favorite for the Hart Trophy. Unfortunately for Price, the race is likely over.
Before we get back to Price, we need to take a look at the likely Hart Trophy winner. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is having perhaps the most impressive season in the post-lockout era.
Through 75 games, Kucherov notched 37 goals and 120 points. The Lightning have already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in their history. In short, he probably has this award locked up.
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Kucherov has undoubtedly been the NHL’s best player this season, but the Hart Trophy goes “to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team,” as outlined by NHL.com. It doesn’t go to the league’s best player. Otherwise, Sidney Crosby would have more than two Harts on his resume.
This isn’t to take anything away from Kucherov, but the Lightning are loaded with a bundle of superstars. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos are each closing in on 40-goal and 90-point seasons. Tyler Johnson should finish with a 30-goal and 50-point season, while Yanni Gourde (20 goals, 44 points), has also been extremely productive.
On top of that, reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman is having another excellent season and could win the award for a second straight year. Veteran rearguard Ryan McDonagh is still a matchup nightmare for the opposition’s top line, too.
The Lightning are the NHL’s highest scoring team, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has also been largely responsible for the team’s success. He’s 35-8-4 with a 2.26 goals against average and .930 save percentage with eight shutouts.
Kucherov is the best player on the best team, but again, that doesn’t mean he’s the true MVP of the league this season. The Lightning are loaded with superstars, and they’d likely be the best team without his ultra-dominant season anyway.
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Price has had to bail out a Montreal team that is tied for 18th in goals per game this season (2.92), per NHL.com. Though the defensive play in front of Price is better this season than previous years, top blueliner and captain Shea Weber has been limited 24 games. Offseason knee surgery forced him to miss the first two months of the season.
Montreal’s power play is last in the NHL, and their penalty kill leaves a lot to be desired. And despite the disastrous special teams, Price has Montreal right in a good position to make the playoffs. They’re fighting with the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Max Domi (25 goals, 64 points) has been Montreal’s only consistent skater this season. But if it weren’t for Price, Domi’s breakout year would be overlooked since the Habs would be out of the playoff race by now.
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But in typical Price fashion, he’s saved the Canadiens from another awful season and just might get them to the playoffs. Compare his supporting cast to what Kucherov has in Tampa Bay, and it’s clear who the more deserving Hart Trophy winner is.
*Stats courtesy of Hockey Reference and NHL.com*