Recently on NHL.com I came across an article that suggested Claude Giroux could be a finalist for the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player of the league) after the season is over. This came to me as a bit of a surprise, but since the article was written Giroux has 7 points in just 4 games. Two of those games were against the top team in their division, Pittsburgh Penguins, and another against the defending Stanley Cup champions, Chicago Blackhawks. After watching the past few games, I see the chances of him being a finalist pretty likely (although Sidney Crosby will most likely win the award). In order for him to be a finalist I think he will have to do all of the following by the end of the season:
* Get the Flyers into the playoffs
* Continue to score at the pace he is now
* Be in the top 3 for points throughout the league
Doing all three of those don't seem as impossible as they may have earlier this year when it took him 15 games to score his first goal. Since then it seems he easily takes control over games to lead the team to victory. He has done an outstanding job on the power play and has even played a lot of minutes shorthanded this year. While on the power play, it seems his line is out there for the full 2 minutes almost every time (if they don't score before then).
Last year Alexander Ovechkin won the award after getting off to a slow start and eventually turning it around, maybe this year Giroux could do the same. After starting the past two years slow with wrist injuries, it seems like the team only plays as well as their captain. The teams record when he scores a point proves it, as they are 32-13-3 when he does get on the scoresheet.
What do you think? Should Giroux be named MVP or, at least, be a finalist for the award?
Being that i am a big Flyers fan i would love to see Giroux take MVP. However, as you stated, i unfortunately think that Crosby will end up winning the award. Having said that, Giroux should definitely be a finalist. No one in the league has been as hot as he has over the past couple months and he is, in my eyes, the main reason we will still be playing come April 16th in the playoffs. If it wasn't for his extremely slow start there is no doubt in my mind that he would have beaten out Crosby. Giroux getting MVP sure would be awesome, but now that we are in the playoffs I have my eyes set on a possible round two match with Pittsburgh.I would love to see Giroux and Crosby go head to head in the playoffs, especially if Crosby wins the MVP. It will give Giroux an extra chip on his shoulder, and I cant wait to see how it all plays out.
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