bobholly39
Registered User
- Mar 10, 2013
- 22,076
- 14,579
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals is in the bag - Dallas is up 1-0. Both teams have been impacted by injuries this playoff season:
Steven Stamkos. He's been the main franchise player in Tampa for a decade now - still a superstar forward, their captain and among their best player, even though there are other greats on this team too.
Ben Bishop. He's been #1 goalie in Dallas for a few years, and has been among the best in league/vezina candidates for that stretch.
Is there a way either player could return in game 2 (or later, if you want to improve the narrative) of the Stanley Cup Finals - and play such an amazing series that they'd be awarded the Conn Smythe despite the obviously low games played count?
Feel free to think of the craziest of scenarios to improve the narrative - just avoid sci-fi/fantasy numbers that are completely unrealistic, try to keep it grounded. For Stamkos, it could mean:
Lightning down 0-3 - Offense isn't clicking at all - Stamkos returns in game 4, helps Tampa win 4 straight games, scored 12 points total and 6 goals while no one else in the whole finals tops 6 points. (no sci-fi scenarios, don't have him score 10 points a game or anything stupid...)
For Bishop, it could be:
Tampa wins next 3 games while destroying Dallas's goalie/defense. Bishop returns in game 5 - faces a barrage of 50+ shots but Dallas wins 1-0. Goes on to post 2 more shutouts (or maybe 1 goal game) maintaining a .960% + sv% in the finals while facing a crazy amount of shots.
What do you think - would the narrative of such a strong final where either player is clearly the main reason their team wins the cup, be enough to win the conn smythe? Or is the games played count too low?
To clarify - i'm not asking if it's likely Stamkos/Bishop return and perform that way - I'm just asking *if* they did - do you think they would win the conn smythe despite low games played?
Steven Stamkos. He's been the main franchise player in Tampa for a decade now - still a superstar forward, their captain and among their best player, even though there are other greats on this team too.
Ben Bishop. He's been #1 goalie in Dallas for a few years, and has been among the best in league/vezina candidates for that stretch.
Is there a way either player could return in game 2 (or later, if you want to improve the narrative) of the Stanley Cup Finals - and play such an amazing series that they'd be awarded the Conn Smythe despite the obviously low games played count?
Feel free to think of the craziest of scenarios to improve the narrative - just avoid sci-fi/fantasy numbers that are completely unrealistic, try to keep it grounded. For Stamkos, it could mean:
Lightning down 0-3 - Offense isn't clicking at all - Stamkos returns in game 4, helps Tampa win 4 straight games, scored 12 points total and 6 goals while no one else in the whole finals tops 6 points. (no sci-fi scenarios, don't have him score 10 points a game or anything stupid...)
For Bishop, it could be:
Tampa wins next 3 games while destroying Dallas's goalie/defense. Bishop returns in game 5 - faces a barrage of 50+ shots but Dallas wins 1-0. Goes on to post 2 more shutouts (or maybe 1 goal game) maintaining a .960% + sv% in the finals while facing a crazy amount of shots.
What do you think - would the narrative of such a strong final where either player is clearly the main reason their team wins the cup, be enough to win the conn smythe? Or is the games played count too low?
To clarify - i'm not asking if it's likely Stamkos/Bishop return and perform that way - I'm just asking *if* they did - do you think they would win the conn smythe despite low games played?