Evan’s NHL Daily: Can Crosby Steal Nate’s Hart? Ritchie Advances

Somehow, some way, the Pittsburgh Penguins are not only still alive in their hunt for an NHL playoff spot, but they actually have a decent chance of making it. If they do, how many Hart Trophy votes is Sidney Crosby going to steal away from his good buddy, Nathan MacKinnon?

The Avalanche will have to wait a little longer to see how Calum Ritchie might do with a taste of professional hockey action, because his OHL team is moving on in the playoffs.

And in Denver, the Avalanche were brutal defensively in their loss to the Stars, sending them on a collision course to face the Winnipeg Jets in round one.

All that and more in this Monday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Less than 48 hours after needing help off the ice, Mikko Rantanen is skating again.

The Central Division seems unlikely for the Avalanche, who fell 7-4 to the Dallas Stars.

Jared Bednar defending his goaltender after the loss, but had some choice words for how his team defended on Sunday night.

Crosby Stealing Hart Votes?

It’s been a crazy year in the NHL, because all of the best players in the world are actually playing like it. You usually have a few guys that have off-years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this season.

Out East, no one wants those final playoff spots, which means the Pittsburgh Penguins have miraculously found their way back into things. If they do, is Sidney Crosby going to get a real following when it comes to the Hart Trophy?

The winner this year might just come down to who gets more second and third place votes. I have a feeling that a lot of folks are going to get first place votes, depending on where the voter is stationed. McDavid could get Western Canada, Kucherov will get the Southern US, MacKinnon will get a lot of the West, while Crosby and Matthews may trade off East votes. It’s going to be a wild finish, and the Hart Trophy seems impossible to predict. If MacKinnon ends up second on enough ballots, that might be enough for him to walk away with his first Hart Trophy.

Oshawa Moves On

Calum Ritchie won’t be turning pro just yet.

While an NHL stint was out of the question, prospects that see their Junior seasons end typically finish the year off in the AHL. Ritchie’s Oshawa Generals advanced to Round two on Sunday night with a 3-0 win, finishing off their series in six games. That means it’ll be at least a week or two until anyone can really think of him playing for the Colorado Eagles.

Ritchie initially was credited with the first goal, but that has since been changed. He finished with zero points in game six, but was named third star. In the six game series, he picked up eight points.

National Hockey Now

What’s next for the Florida Panthers? They’ve stumbled a bit down the stretch after looking like the best team in the NHL.

Moritz Seider is good at blocking shots. Maybe not the best sign, but it’s something.