Crosby doesn't need Hart to get the Cup

By Mark Madden 

Special to The Beaver County Times | Posted: Thursday, April 25, 2013 11:54 pm 

http://www.timesonline.com

It’s a good thing there’s only one trophy Sidney Crosby really cares about, because the Penguins captain is about to get jobbed out of some hardware.

Crosby hasn’t played since March 30, when he got hit in the face with a puck. It took Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos 25 days to pass him in the NHL scoring race. Whichever one “wins” the Art Ross Trophy can show it off at the golf course first thing Sunday morning. He will have perhaps the least prestigious scoring championship in NHL history.

That’s nobody’s fault. Points are points. It’s about math, not opinion.

The Hart Trophy, given annually to the NHL MVP, is another story.

Crosby is averaging 1.55 points per game, far more than fellow MVP contenders Alexander Ovechkin (1.15), Jonathan Toews (1.02) and John Tavares (1). Crosby’s team has the second-best record in hockey. The Penguins have gone 7-3 without Crosby, but he’s the primary impetus for their great season.

Crosby seems an obvious choice for MVP. Nailed-on.

But Crosby probably won’t get it.

Hockey writers vote on the Hart. Last impressions mean a lot.

Washington has gone 10-1 this month, racing to the Southeast Division title. Ovechkin has netted 13 goals during those games, assisting on six others. Ovechkin has been a very visible and flashy catalyst.

But Ovechkin only scored twice in his first 10 games. Do the voters remember?

Chicago’s Toews is the old-school favorite. The Blackhawks have been the NHL’s points leader from wire to wire. Toews has less points than teammate Patrick Kane, but he’s a rugged two-way center with lots of jam. A classic leader, too.

Tavares is the main reason the Islanders will make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Dynamic and exciting, Tavares is the darling of those who believe the best player on an overachieving team should cop the Hart.

It’s a solid field. But no one compares to Crosby, not statistically and not via the eye test. If Crosby had missed the first 12 games, his injury wouldn’t be an issue. If 12 DNPs were sprinkled throughout the season, that wouldn’t be an issue.

But Crosby missed the season’s final quarter. Out of sight. Is he out of mind?

The MVP debate is further compounded by lack of inter-conference play. That may polarize the vote between East and West.

Crosby is not exactly a media darling in certain circles. Will that skew the vote?

Crosby deserves the Hart. He’s my runaway pick. But here’s betting the award goes to Toews, a gritty combination of efficiency and durability that fits the mold. Toews is from Western Canada, which counts nearly as much as being from Ontario and a lot more than being from Nova Scotia. Hockey is extremely provincial.

It will be outrageous if Crosby doesn’t get the Hart, but not nearly as outrageous as what happened in 1988-89. Mario Lemieux had 85 goals and 199 points. He won the scoring title by 31 points over runner-up Wayne Gretzky. But Gretzky got MVP. It was his first year with Los Angeles, and it’s been theorized Gretzky was feted for popularizing the game in southern California.

That’s not part of the criteria, but at least Gretzky isn’t French-Canadian.

Lemieux’s displeasure was palpable, but not stated. Years later, Lemieux told me, “I judge myself by Stanley Cups and scoring titles. No one votes on those.”

Crosby won’t get the latter, and maybe not the MVP.

If he lifts the Stanley Cup, though, the rest will be forgotten.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).