Rinne’s Conn Smythe Odds Plummet After Poor Game 1

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is the new co-favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, joining fellow former winner Evgeni Malkin.


After posting a sensational .941 save percentage and 1.70 goals-against average in the first 3 rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne was considered by many as the favourite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

How quickly things can change.

Rinne was torched for 4 goals on 11 shots in Game 1 of the Cup final Monday, when the Penguins won 5-3 despite going without a shot on net for a 37-minute stretch. He didn’t have much chance on Pittsburgh’s three first-period goals (including one that went off his own defenceman and in the net), but Jake Guentzel’s game winner with 3:17 left in regulation time was very stoppable. It was also Pittsburgh’s first shot on net since late in the first period.

Rinne’s poor performance saw him plummet down the 2017 Conn Smythe Trophy betting odds at BetOnline. He was +200 before the series began, but now pays +375 to claim playoff MVP.

Updated 2017 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds After Game 1

Rinne also went from the favourite to #3 on TSN’s Conn Smythe index.

“The first 9 shots, he allowed 4 goals, and for Pekka Rinne that’s not Conn Smythe Trophy-like,” said TSN analyst Craig Button. “The bottom line is that Pekka Rinne did not show one area of Conn Smythe Trophy winner in this game. He’s not #1 after this game. He can’t be.”

Still, the Conn Smythe Trophy is an award for MVP of the entire playoffs, not just the Stanley Cup final. Rinne could quickly vault back into the favourite’s position with a strong performance in Game 2, especially if the Predators even the series headed back to Nashville.

The playoff MVP almost always goes to a member of the Cup-winning team, so the drop in Rinne’s odds are probably more of a reflection of Nashville’s reduced chances to win the series. He’s still the top-rated Predator on the Conn Smythe Trophy odds, well ahead of teammate Filip Forsberg (+1100).

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the new Conn Smythe co-favourites, each paying +180 odds. But don’t sleep on Guentzel, especially at his +2500 price! The Penguins rookie has come up huge in the postseason, leading all scorers with 10 goals in 20 games. Even better, 4 of his 10 markers have been game winners.