Conn Smythe Trophy winner for Golden Knights, Panthers debated by NHL.com

The Vegas Golden Knights lead the Florida Panthers 3-1 in the best-of-7 series and can claim their first championship with a win in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, SN, CBC, TVAS).

That is the biggest news heading into the game, but realize that the Stanley Cup always has company in the awarding process. In fact, it is the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

[RELATED: Complete Stanley Cup Final coverage]

The race for the Conn Smythe remains a crowded field and there is intense debate about who would take the trophy from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to start the presentation ceremony.

So, ahead of Game 5, we revisited the MVP debate.

Not surprisingly, a panel of NHL.com writers differed in their opinions. Here are their answers, in alphabetical order:

Adin Hill

There’s been a heck of a lot of talk about the goalie on the Florida Panthers. And, if they come back to win the Stanley Cup Final, I’d be behind Sergei Bobrovsky for MVP. But we can’t ignore Hill, the steady, excellent hand he has been in net for the Golden Knights, the way he effectively saved their season when they had no one else to turn to, after Laurent Brossoit was injured. In 15 games in the playoffs, Hill has a 2.11 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage and has given the team plenty of confidence. Hill has allowed two goals to the Panthers in each of the Golden Knights’ wins and three in their loss in Game 3, the final goal coming in overtime. That’s exactly what a goalie has to do to get his team across the finish line and win the Stanley Cup. His goaltending might not be getting the headlines of Bobrovsky or the cheers of those goals scored by Jonathan Marchessault. But, truly, where would they be without him? Not winning the Cup, I’d argue. — Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Video: VGK@FLA, Gm4: Hill stops Verhaeghe in final seconds

Jonathan Marchessault

The idea is to score goals, and no one on the Golden Knights has done it better and at more opportune times than Marchessault. The forward has 13 goals in the past 14 games entering Game 5 after not scoring in the first seven games of the playoffs. He has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) during a nine-game point streak. But it’s not just that he’s scoring, it’s when he’s scoring. Of his 13 goals, three have tied the game and six have given Vegas a lead, including three game-winners. He has scored the first goal in three games. Marchessault had a natural hat trick in the second period of Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Second Round, tying the game, giving the Golden Knights the lead and then giving them a cushion in a 5-2 series-clinching win. He scored the tying goal in Game 2 against the Dallas Stars in the conference final at 17:38 of third period. Vegas won in overtime. — Dan Rosen, senior writer

During a conversation with an Eastern Conference general manager Monday afternoon, the subject of the biggest…