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With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, the debate has begun as to whom should win the Conn Smythe Trophy for this years playoffs. Unlike in 2012 when the Kings last won the Cup, there is no obvious choice for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That year, goaltender Jonathan Quick posted a 16-4 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average and three shutouts en route to winning the award. Quick is again a candidate to win this year, however he may not be the favourite. In 24 playoff games, Quick has a 15-9 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. He also has two shutouts in the playoffs, including one against the Rangers in Game 3. The Kings have used a high-scoring offence to get within a game of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Their 84 goals in the playoffs are 24 more than the next-best Rangers. Leading the way on offence is Anze Kopitar, who leads in scoring with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Kopitars 21 assists in this years run sits second in Kings history, behind only Wayne Gretzkys 25 helpers in 1993. However, Kopitar has just five goals, while nine of his assists have come on Marion Gaborik goals. Gaborik, acquired by the Kings on trade deadline day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the playoffs in goals with 13. His finest game of the playoffs came in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game and scored again in overtime to take the series opener. "Mr. Game 7," Justin Williams, also has an overtime winner on his playoff resume this year. Williams scored to lift the Kings over the Rangers in Game 1 -- one of eight goals hes scored in the playoffs. An emotional leader for the team, Williams is tied for second in playoff scoring with 24 points and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He also has six points through three Stanley Cup Final games. Tied with Williams at 24 points is forward Jeff Carter, who played a similar role to Gaborik in 2012 after being acquired mid-season from the Blue Jackets. Carter has 10 goals in these playoffs, including a team-high four on the power play. However, hurting Carters campaign is his plus-five rating. If any defenceman is to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Kings, it would likely be Drew Doughty, who leads the Kings blue line with 17 points and has been their top defenceman throughout the playoffs, averaging over 28 minutes of ice-time per game. With multiple options available, the Conn Smythe Trophy debate may come down to the Kings final victory. Until then, who do you believe will be named the most valuable player should the Kings defeat the Rangers? As always, its Your! Call. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . 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But Josh Bailey scored the shootout winner to lead the Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in a battle of the Eastern Conferences two worst teams.VANCOUVER - Bizarre, strange and sloppy were just some of the words used to describe the Vancouver Canucks wild victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday night. Kevin Bieksa scored his second of the night at 2:15 of overtime as the Canucks fought back after blowing two separate two-goal leads to defeat the Coyotes 5-4. The defenceman collected his own rebound and chipped his fourth of the season over Phoenix goalie Mike Smith while falling to the ice, capping a game where Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette was credited with a hat trick — even though he only shot one puck into Vancouvers net himself. "It was a strange game on both sides. It was bizarre," said Canucks assistant coach Mike Sullivan. "I think there might have been one goal that was actually shot in the net. It seemed like everything was a deflection off a skate, off a stick, off something, so it was just one of those games for both sides." Chris Higgins had a goal and two assists for Vancouver (27-17-9), while Zac Dalpe added a goal and an assist. Jannik Hansen also scored for the Canucks, his first in 11 games. Vancouver, which came in having scored just eight times in its last seven games, holds down the first wild card position in the Western Conference and is just a point back of the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division. "It wasnt your typical game. Weve been struggling to score goals lately, so lets take some positive out of it. We put five in, some guys got on the scoresheet and we found a way to win when it came down to it," said Bieksa, who also had an assist. "We needed the two points. We were up a couple goals a few times and they came back and we stayed resilient and found a way to win." Added Higgins: "Kind of a sloppy game and with the weird goals it was kind of a strange game. Its nice to be on the winning side of those games and nice to score a bunch of goals — its been tough to come by recently." Roberto Luongo, who was shaky at times and even directed one of Vermettes goals over the line himself, made 29 saves for the Canucks. On the whole, it was a night to forget for both Luongo and Smith as two of the three goalies heading to next months Winter Olympics for Canada fought the puck and looked lost in the crease at times. "It was definitely a weird one," said Luongo. "It was one of those games where it felt like the puck was bouncing in from everywhere. The good thing is we got the win." Shane Doan chipped in with a goal and an assist for Phoenix (24-18-10), which got 20 stops from Smith as the Coyotes picked up a point but still sit four back of the Minnesota Wild for eighth in the West and five back of Vancouver. "Were going to have to be better than we are right now," said Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett. "We play stretches well but make critical errors at the wrong time and those have to be cleaned up if we are going to be a playoff team.dddddddddddd" After a wild finish to the second period, Doan tied the game 4-4 on a breakaway at 5:24 of the third. The Coyotes captain moved in on Luongo and lost control of his deke but still saw the puck squeak through the five-hole for his 15th of the season. Vancouver was handed a power play right at the end of regulation, but the leagues 28th-ranked unit failed to convert in overtime before Bieksa won it. The Canucks power play came into Sunday on a dreadful 2-for-30 run over the last eight games and rarely looked dangerous against the Coyotes in four failed attempts. "When a power play struggles it can take on a life of its own," said Sullivan, who is running the Canucks bench in place of the suspended John Tortorella. "Now not only are you trying to coach the Xs and Os of the strategy of the power play, but you are coaching the mindset and a fragile mindset." Down 2-1 in the second, the Coyotes tied it while shorthanded against that feeble power play. Canucks forward Ryan Kesler tried to slap the puck off Vermettes stick in front of Luongo, only to see it carom into the Vancouver net to tie the score at 9:07. The goal was Vermettes second of the night and 17th of the season. The Canucks had just 10 shots in total when Higgins restored Vancouvers lead at even strength by deflecting a shot from the point past Smith for his 14th of the season, and second in as many games, at 16:59. Dalpe then followed up his own rebound off the rush to score his third and stretch the Canucks lead to 4-2 just 42 seconds later. That two-goal lead would be short-lived as Vermette completed his second hat trick of the season — and third of his career — with 54.5 seconds remaining in the period with a shot from in close as the Coyotes broke through against the Canucks stingy penalty kill, which came in ranked second overall. Vermette now has six goals in his last six games, and three short-handed goals in his last four. "Free hat trick right there," Luongo said with a laugh. "At least he buried the last one to make it at least somewhat justifiable. It was just one of those nights where it felt like the puck was finding ways in." Vermette was unapologetic when it came to his good fortune. "You get good chances and the puck doesnt go in for you," he said. "I thought it was a good sign, weve been talking about those bounces lately. Its a sign that things are going to turn around." The Canucks — who were still without injured forwards Henrik Sedin and Mike Santorelli because of upper-body injuries — beat Smith twice in a 44-second span midway through first period as both Bieksa and Hansen ended lengthy droughts. Bieksa opened the scoring at 10:31 on a shot through traffic to pick up his first goal in nine games. The defencemans third of the season was also his first point in the last eight contests and came moments after a failed Vancouver power play. ' ' '