Goalie Tim Thomas was practically perfect against the Canucks in the Cup Final, allowing only eight goals in seven games en route to the Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup win. But was Thomas’ Cup performance better than those of some of Boston’s other championship MVPs in the last decade?
Tom Brady was electrifying in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. He threw a Super Bowl record 32 completions, while also passing for 354 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to the gaudy stats, Brady also led the Patriots on a game-winning drive.
The Celtics may have been the best team in the league in 2008, but they met a formidable foe in the Finals in the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had the Big Three, but captain Paul Pierce was the sparkplug.
In Game 1, Pierce was injured after falling on Kendrick Perkins‘ leg. But he quickly returned and led his team to victory. Pierce led the Celtics in scoring in Game 2 and Game 4 victories before being awarded the series MVP after winning Game 6.
Manny Ramirez was World Series MVP in 2004 after leading the Red Sox to their first World Series championship in 86 years. Ramirez led the Red Sox with seven hits, batting .412 with one home run and 4 RBIs.
After the series, Ramirez said, “I don’t believe in curses, I believe you make your own destination.”
Thomas’ presence in the Cup Final went beyond the box score. He gave Henrik Sedin quite the check in Game 3 and got in a tussle with Alex Burrows in Game 4. But each of the aforementioned performances were also special in their own way.
Which championship MVP do you think had the best performance?
Which MVP's championship performance was most impressive?survey software
