NEW YORK -- If history had turned out differently for the Tampa Bay Lightning last June during the Stanley Cup finals, defenseman Victor Hedman might have won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Instead, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Lightning in six games and hoisted the Cup -- and Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith took home the hardware as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This postseason, Hedman is making a similar impact. Only two games into his team's Eastern Conference second-round series against the New York Islanders, the 25-year-old blueliner is again proving to be a vital part of Tampa Bay's success.