Mitch Marner showed his value in the second round, while a Sabres right winger disappointed. We look at the superlatives of the second round, including the best game.
Another round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is over, and the four teams remaining can now say they're on a deep post-season run.
The Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are two rounds away from lifting hockey's holy grail over their heads.
Montreal was the last team to book its place in the final four, with a dramatic overtime win in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
So with the second round of the post-season officially over, here's a look back at the great – and not so great – moments and performances over the last couple of weeks.
MVP: Mitch Marner, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
Honorable mentions: Frederik Andersen, Carter Hart, Jakub Dobes, Nathan MacKinnon
If you had to pick a Conn Smythe Trophy winner today, it would be pretty hard not to have Mitch Marner as the front-runner for the award.
On BetMGM, Marner is listed as the third-favored player for the Conn Smythe at 10.00 (+900) odds.
Marner is the current playoff scoring leader with seven goals and 18 points in 12 games for the Golden Knights, but he also led the NHL in scoring for the second round of the post-season.
Since May 2, Marner has topped the league with five goals and six assists for 11 points, including two shorthanded points and a game-winning goal. That's why he's the MVP of the second round.
Most Disappointing: Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Honorable mentions: Alex Lyon, Lukas Dostal, Travis Konecny
For whatever reason, Alex Tuch could not find his offense against the Canadiens. In the seven-game series, the power forward recorded zero points and a minus-eight rating.
It wasn't the best time for Tuch to fall into a slump. Not only is it the Stanley Cup playoffs when everyone needs to be on their game, but he's also a pending UFA who seemingly hasn't decided on his future yet.
He was just fine in the first round against the Boston Bruins, putting up four goals and seven points in six contests. But two-way centers, such as Nick Suzuki, Jake Evans and Phillip Danault, must have gotten the best of Tuch.
Unsung Hero: Alex Newhook, LW, Montreal Canadiens
Honorable mentions: Brett Howden, Jackson Blake, Jake Evans
There is only one right answer as to who would be named the unsung hero of the post-season's second round of fixtures, and it's not only because Newhook scored the series-clinching goal against the Sabres.
Newhook has been stellar for Montreal all series long, scoring at the most important times. He finished the round with six goals and seven points for the Habs.
Two of his goals from this series were equalizers, and another two were to take the lead.
Considering Newhook had 13 goals and 25 points in 42 games during the regular season, he's providing some excellent value for Montreal right now.
Best Game: Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 1
Honorable mentions: Montreal versus Buffalo, Games 4 and 7
The superstar offense that the Minnesota Wild and Avalanche have was on full display in Game 1 of this series between two Central Division heavyweights.
This contest finished with 15 goals, with Colorado winning 9-6. That game is tied for the fifth-highest-scoring matchup in playoff history.
Lead changes and momentum swings made the game an all-timer. The Avalanche scored the first three goals, and the Wild cut the lead to one before the end of the first period. After Colorado took a 4-2 lead early in the second, the Wild scored three unanswered to grab a 5-4 lead. After that, the Avalanche took control. Center Nazem Kadri scored the seventh and game-winning goal for Colorado early in the third period to make it a 7-5 game.
Both starting goaltenders, Jesper Wallstedt and Scott Wedgewood, finished well below an .850 save percentage in the game. However, there were eight multi-point scorers in this outing, seven of whom wore an Avalanche sweater.
Avs defenseman Devon Toews led the game in scoring with one goal and three assists for four points. His D-partner, Cale Makar, led the contest in goals with a pair.
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