Cardiff » apped last Tuesday in Montreal, but the Hurr

With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, the debate has begun as to whom should win the Conn Smythe Trophy for this years playoffs. Unlike in 2012 when the Kings last won the Cup, there is no obvious choice for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That year, goaltender Jonathan Quick posted a 16-4 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average and three shutouts en route to winning the award. Quick is again a candidate to win this year, however he may not be the favourite. In 24 playoff games, Quick has a 15-9 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. He also has two shutouts in the playoffs, including one against the Rangers in Game 3. The Kings have used a high-scoring offence to get within a game of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Their 84 goals in the playoffs are 24 more than the next-best Rangers. Leading the way on offence is Anze Kopitar, who leads in scoring with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Kopitars 21 assists in this years run sits second in Kings history, behind only Wayne Gretzkys 25 helpers in 1993. However, Kopitar has just five goals, while nine of his assists have come on Marion Gaborik goals. Gaborik, acquired by the Kings on trade deadline day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the playoffs in goals with 13. His finest game of the playoffs came in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game and scored again in overtime to take the series opener. "Mr. Game 7," Justin Williams, also has an overtime winner on his playoff resume this year. Williams scored to lift the Kings over the Rangers in Game 1 -- one of eight goals hes scored in the playoffs. An emotional leader for the team, Williams is tied for second in playoff scoring with 24 points and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He also has six points through three Stanley Cup Final games. Tied with Williams at 24 points is forward Jeff Carter, who played a similar role to Gaborik in 2012 after being acquired mid-season from the Blue Jackets. Carter has 10 goals in these playoffs, including a team-high four on the power play. However, hurting Carters campaign is his plus-five rating. If any defenceman is to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Kings, it would likely be Drew Doughty, who leads the Kings blue line with 17 points and has been their top defenceman throughout the playoffs, averaging over 28 minutes of ice-time per game. With multiple options available, the Conn Smythe Trophy debate may come down to the Kings final victory. Until then, who do you believe will be named the most valuable player should the Kings defeat the Rangers? As always, its Your! Call. 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Ottawa Senators Jerseys .Y. - Joe Johnson hit six 3-pointers in his 27 points, Mason Plumlee added 18 points, and the Brooklyn Nets won their 11th straight at home, beating the Boston Celtics 114-98 Friday night.Paul Maurice returns to Carolina for the first time since taking over behind the bench in Winnipeg as the Jets visit the Hurricanes tonight. Viewers in the Jets region can catch the game on TSN Jets at 5:30pm ct/6:30pm et and listen to it on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg. The Jets are 8-2-0 since hiring Maurice to take over for the fired Claude Noel. The surge has the Jets sitting only four points out of a playoff spot in the West. Maurice, of course, coached the Hurricanes during two separate stints from 1997-2004 and again from 2008-12. He led Carolina to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002, when they to the Detroit Red Wings. The Jets picked up a 2-1 win Sunday afternoon in Montreal, as they kicked off a four-game road trip on a positive note. Michael Frolik scored the winner in the third period and Al Montoya made 30 saves to help Winnipeg pick up its fourth win in five games. "I made the first save and our guys were there to battle," said Montoya. "Any guy in front of the net, you mind him and take care of business." Tobias Enstrom scored the other goal for the Jets, who will visit Washington on Thursday before playing their final game before the Olympic break Saturday in St. Louis. This evenings tilt is the first of two scheduled encounters between the Jets and Hurricanes in 2013-14, as the former Southeast Division rivals are now in different conferences thanks to realignment. Winnipeg went 3-1-0 against Carolina in last seasons series and the Jets have won four of five and seven of the past 10 in this matchup. The Jets also have claimed three in a row and four of their past five in Raleigh. The Hurricanes could have Cam Ward in net for the first time in 2014 on Tuesday, as the goaltenders team shoots for its sixth win in seven games. The Hurricanes are 5-1-0 over their past six games and the club managed to post a 10-4-0 record in January despite Ward missing the entire month due to a lower-body injury.dddddddddddd The clubs No. 1 netminder last played for Carolina on Dec. 31 when he earned a home win over the Montreal Canadiens. Ward recently completed a conditioning stint with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League, going 1-1 with a 2.02 goals against average with Carolinas AHL affiliate. Its unclear if Ward, who is 6-7-5 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 save percentage this season, will start on Tuesday or if Anton Khudobin gets the call again. Khudobin, who was named the NHLs First Star for January, has started 13 of Carolinas last 14 games and he is 5-1-0 over his past six appearances. All told, the Russian netminder was 10-4-0 with a 2.19 GAA and .927 save percentage in January. Carolina had a four-game winning streak snapped last Tuesday in Montreal, but the Hurricanes rebounded from that 3-0 setback with Fridays 3-1 home victory against St. Louis. Jeff Skinner recorded the deciding goal early in the second period and Khudobin stopped 27 pucks for the win. Skinner, who leads Carolina with 23 goals this season, scored just his second goal of the last 10 games. Nathan Gerbe and Alexander Semin also tallied for the Hurricanes. "Right from the get go I thought our guys were focused," said Carolina head coach Kirk Muller. The Canes enter Tuesday with 59 points, leaving them three points behind final playoff spot in the East. Carolina is also only three points in back of Philadelphia and Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division. This evenings test is the second tilt on a four-game homestand that will cap Carolinas pre-Olympic break schedule. The Hurricanes are 14-10-5 as the host this season. ' ' '