Category archive: Sidney Crosby
It wasn't one of those games where goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky strapped the Columbus Blue Jackets to his back and carried them to two points, but last night's 4-3 win in San Jose was his 19th of the season. And it was another tight game.
In their stunning playoff run, Columbus may have one of the toughest season-ending schedules, with a West Coast trip at the worst time. Six of the Blue Jackets' final seven games were on the road but so far, it hasn't mattered. The Blue Jackets are 4-1 on the trip heading into an absolutely huge game Thursday against the Stars. Every single one of those games have been decided by one goal, which is just another reason why Bobrovsky has been so valuable. He's keeping Columbus in games, and he's winning the close ones. Like last night in San Jose.
"You could feel the pressure," coach Todd Richards said in his postgame media session. "You could feel it out on the ice."
Bobrovsky has responded to that pressure. And if he carries Columbus into the postseason, that changes the dynamic of the Hart Trophy race considerably. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association received their awards ballots during the weekend, and an MVP race that was all but done a month ago will come down to the final week. Here's a look at the biggest contenders on my ballot:
To find out who tops Craig's ballot and how the season's final week could impact the voting, you must be an ESPN Insider.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.
From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.
Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.
Follow Craig on Twitter: @CraigCustance
And fire off a few probing questions for his weekly mailbag while you're at it.
