Taylor Hall has been fighting to bring his team to the postseason for the first time in his career. His miraculous season has him as one of the favorites to win the league’s MVP, with only one player left in his way.
With three games left in the New Jersey Devils season, it’s crazy to think a player from our team is the leading candidate for the Hart Trophy. Taylor Hall is the player that analysts have no choice but to name when it comes to topping the candidate list. His team is close to clinching a playoff spot, and it would be clear that this team would be jostling for a lottery pick if he was on another team.
Hall is leading the team in goals, assists, points (obviously), time on ice for forwards, power play goals and assists, shots and even +/-. He has 13 more goals than the next closest guy (Kyle Palmieri, 24) and 38 more points than the next closest guy on his team (Nico Hischier, 51). There’s a clear leader for this franchise, and it’s the guy Edmonton didn’t want anymore.
With these stats, if feels like a no brainer to call Hall the MVP, but there is one player standing in his way.
Nathan MacKinnon has been leading the once hapless Colorado Avalanche into playoff contention this season. His 94 points is slightly ahead of Hall’s 89. Analysts have been calling for MacKinnon to get the credit he deserves all season. It’s finally happening, but there’s one major problem.
The Avalanche had a glorious chance to put some cushion between themselves and the St. Louis Blues. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in regulation, failing to get a point. That means the Blues control their own destiny, being a point back with a game at hand.
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If MacKinnon can will his Avs into the postseason, then it will be an even tighter race for the MVP. If he can’t make it, he’s all but out of the conversation.
The same goes for Hall. If the Devils somehow blow this five point lead and miss the postseason, he’s out of the Hart Trophy race.
These aren’t the only names in the race, but probably the names that will end the season on top. Connor McDavid is having an amazing season, but his team has been out of the playoff race since November. Nikita Kucherov is doing amazing things with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but that team is so stacked it’s hard to make a legitimate case for him to win. Evgeni Malkin has been very good for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but lately Sidney Crosby has been their go-to guy.
Hall has the best chance to win the award, but MacKinnon can still make it happen if he wills his team to the playoffs. It will be a race to the end for sure.