St. Louis starts to earn MVP consideration

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO
Published February 18, 2004

TAMPA - Martin St. Louis: MVP.

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And many around the league said it is a real possibility for the Lightning right wing.

"If you use the words most valuable player to the team, then, yeah, he's right up there," Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said Tuesday.

ESPN analyst Barry Melrose said St. Louis and Devils goalie Martin Brodeur are the leading candidates, "and I'm not sure who I'd have at No. 3.

"This guy," Melrose said of St. Louis, "is a big-time MVP candidate."

St. Louis is in the running for several postseason awards: Art Ross for most points, Rocket Richard for most goals, Selke for best defensive forward and Lady Byng for sportsmanship.

St. Louis is tied for third in the league with 65 points, tied for fourth with 29 goals and first with seven short-handed goals and nine short-handed points. He is plus-23 and has 18 penalty minutes.

Toppers would be MVP honors, the Hart Trophy, voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the Pearson Award, voted by the players.

"I said in my midseason report I considered him a top-five candidate, and I think he's grown since then," USA Today's Kevin Allen said. "It's supposed to be the most outstanding player for your team. I think he's been phenomenal to the Lightning's success."

St. Louis leads the league since Dec. 18 with 23 goals and 44 points. He was an All-Star starter and is being considered for Canada's World Cup team.

He has 14 goals and 14 assists while earning points in 15 of his past 16 games, in which Tampa Bay is 11-2-1-2.

"Any time you put yourself in the top five of scoring, you are in a position of being named MVP," said Nick Kypreos, a television analyst for Canada's Rogers Sportsnet. "He's in a situation where he's put himself in an elite group. The only thing he has to do is keep going."

STARTING POINT: The Lightning's 16-3-1-2 mark since Jan. 3 began with a 6-1 victory over the Flyers. Hitchcock remembers the game that ended Tampa Bay's 4-12-3-0 streak.

"They were on the crest of falling or catching themselves," the coach said. "That's the most delicate thing in our business; when you play well, and they were playing well, but you don't win. That's the balance between hope and reality. (Coach John Tortorella) said it. He knew they were on dangerous ground. They had to find a way to get out of it, and they did. Now their confidence is right up there."

FACING OFF: Tim Taylor has won 29 of 41 draws in his first four games back in the faceoff circle, including 10 of 10 Saturday against the Panthers and 6 of 8 Tuesday. The center relinquished his spot because of an unspecified broken hand bone sustained Jan. 2 against the Blue Jackets.

ODDS AND ENDS: Detroit's Brett Hull has 262 power-play goals, one behind league record-holder and Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk. ... Right wing Dmitry Afanasenkov has been promoted to the third line with Taylor and Andreychuk. Ben Clymer was moved to the fourth line with center Martin Cibak and left wing Chris Dingman. ... Left wing Andre Roy was scratched for the 20th consecutive game. ... Defensemen Nolan Pratt and Darren Rumble were scratched. ... Flyers captain Keith Primeau (concussion) was scratched.

[Last modified February 18, 2004, 01:31:43]