MVP

This time of year in the NBA and the NHL, we're always hearing the play-by-plays discussing who they think should be this years league MVP.

It's pretty sickening to listen to because nobody really gives a damn but it bothers me for other reasons. In the NHL, the candidates are Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and perhaps Henrik Sedin but that my friends is all wrong for an MVP award. Now, if they were handing out an award for the NHL's best player, that aforementioned trio are all very deserving but MVP, are you kidding? Doesn't MVP stand for "Most Valuable Player"? Where would the Caps be without AO? Well, they'd probably be in the exact same spot they're in right now, that being in first place in the East and heading for the playoffs. How about the Pens without Sid or the Canucks without Henrik? Well, perhaps not with as many points but certainly heading for the playoffs and in that respect, one would have to believe that the Pens would be a lot worse off without Sid than the Caps would be without Ovechkin. For MVP between those two, it would not be close.

Without doubt, however, the league's MVP this year should be none other than the Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Jaroslav Halak. The Habs are likely going to the playoffs and they're going to make it for one reason and one reason only. Credit the Canadiens season to Halak. He's been brilliant almost every night when the team has not. In fact, Montreal would likely be near the bottom of the league in the standings if it weren't for Halak, Rarely were the Canadiens the better team on the ice than anyone they played. Halak has single handily won at least 20 games for Montreal and maybe more.

The MVP this year is Halak, period. Without Halak the Habs had no chance of making the playoffs and that's all there is to it. Is he the best player in the league? No? But he's more valuable to his team than any player in the NHL and frankly, it's not even close.