Ovechkin in line for 2nd MVP
Hart Trophy Finalists Announced
NEW YORK -- Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is a finalist for a second straight Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.
Fellow Russians Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings were also among the finalists announced by the league Wednesday.
It is the first time in the 85-season history of the award that all three finalists are Russians.
Malkin
Datsyuk
The winner will be revealed June 18 at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas.
Ovechkin led the league in goals this season with 56, and could become the first repeat winner of the Hart since Dominik Hasek in 1997-98. Ovechkin finished three points shy of becoming the NHL's first repeat scoring champion since Jaromir Jagr in 2000-01.
Ovechkin's 528 shots on goal were the second-highest single-season total in league history (Phil Esposito had 550 in 1970-71). He was second in the NHL this season on power-play goals (19) and third on game-winning goals (10).
Malkin was runner-up for the Hart Trophy last year and has already won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring with 113 points. Malkin led the league in assists with 78 and played in all 82 games this season.
Datsyuk is considered by many the league's most complete player after finishing fourth in scoring with 97 points. He is also a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, both of which he won last year.
Datsyuk finished fourth in the league in scoring this season, with 97 points and a personal-best 32 goals. He was third in plus-minus with a +34 rating, and won 56 percent of the 1,135 faceoffs he took.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
