The Puck Stops Here

It is still very early in the playoffs. All series except for Washington and Philadelphia have now played two games (Washington and Philly have only played once). It's probably too early to pick a meaningful playoff MVP, but I cannot resist doing it anyway. I pick Evgeni Malkin as the early playoff MVP. He has six points in his two games with the Pittsburgh Penguins which leads him in playoff scoring. This season, Malkin is establishing himself as a candidate to be the best player in hockey. He played very well during Sidney Crosby's injury and finished second in scoring in the league. He is a likely Hart Trophy nominee. He is continuing his dominance into the playoffs.