It's quite fashionable to pick an early Conn Smythe trophy winner for playoff MVP. Bloggers and mediots are falling over themselves crowning Chris Pronger as the king of hockey. Pronger's been quite the sensation with 17 points in 17 games with a +9 and only 18 PIM (for him, that's pretty good)

My Pick? Dwayne Roloson.

I didn't even have to think long and hard about it.

With the Oilers out-shot and out-chanced every single night, it's been Roloson's exceptional goaltending that has allowed the .500 Oilers to defeat three superior teams and give them a real shot at the Stanley Cup. If it wasn't for his 2.22GAA and gaudy 93.1SV%, Christie Pronger and the rest of the Oilers would be golfing right about now.

There's also been lots of whining about how the Oilers one-week-plus layoff will hurt their momentum and make them rusty.

Sure. Warm up the excuse-making machine while I finish my latte.

If there is a team that needs a good break, it's the Oilers. They play a very high-tempo style that requires a lot of self-sacrifice and a lot of energy. The Oilers have also had the most extensive travel schedule, especially compared to any Eastern Conference team. If they had to start the Stanley Cup playoffs not long after their last series, they could have easily run out of gas. The signs were there against the Ducks, but the Ducks lack of experience and goal-scoring punch, plus Roloson's awesome goaltending, allowed the Oilers to win a series in 5 games and make it look more lopsided that it really was.

The Oilers should be thankful for such a break and use it to rest, heal, and recharge for what will be a tough series against either Carolina or Buffalo. The Oilers should also can the momentum of getting out-shot and out-chanced every single night and learn to win all of the battles. Living dangerously is bound to lead to your death eventually.

Fernando Pisani = Dave Lowry. Substitute Mike Peca for Stuuuuuuuuu Barnes and Raffi Torres for Ray Sheppard and this line looks very familiar to moi.

Patrik Elias is STILL tied for 3rd in playoff scoring.

Who has the worst speed-to-offensive ability ratio in the NHL? Mike Grier or Radek Dvorak?