Back in November, concerned Canucks fans were beginning to wonder whether their team had what it took to return to the postseason following a disappointing 2005-06 season. New goaltender Roberto Luongo got off to a rough start in his first season with the Canucks, posting a disappointing 5-7 record (and an .896 save percentage) in the season's second month.

Acquired from the Panthers in a blockbuster offseason deal, Luongo appeared to be chafing under the pressure of playing in Vancouver—a hockey hotbed—after spending years in the comparably low-pressure tranquility of South Florida. And British Columbia's hockey fans were very worried, indeed.

Since Christmas, however, Luongo has gone on a torrid run that has erased any cause for concern about his ability to lead the Canucks to glory. He is currently in the midst of a 25-5-4 roll, and has emerged as a prime candidate to win both the Vezina Trophy (NHL's best netminder) and the Hart Trophy (NHL's Most Valuable Player). And perhaps most impressively of all, Luongo has accomplished this during a season in which captain Markus Naslund has struggled mightily (54 points in 73 games).

Because Luongo has led the Canucks to the top of what is arguably the toughest division in hockey, he must be considered the front-runner for the Hart. Three teams from the Northwest will reach the postseason, with one more (likely either the Calgary Flames or the onrushing Colorado Avalanche) falling just short. And the Edmonton Oilers, last season's Western Conference champs, didn't start dropping out of playoff contention until mid-February, a collapse accelerated by the deadline day trade of heart and soul forward Ryan Smyth.

Certainly, fair arguments can be made that both Sidney Crosby and Martin Brodeur are also worthy Hart candidates. The 19-year-old Crosby has somehow managing to surpass the ridiculous expectations laid out for him. And at the same time, his presence has provided fellow youngsters Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Jordan Staal with a valuable escape from the media pressure; after every game, he is surrounded by a swarm of reporters while his teammates can wind down in peace. But Crosby's supporting cast is inarguably more talented than Luongo's, if less experienced, and so the Canucks' netminder holds the edge in this comparison.

Brodeur provides an even more formidable opponent than Crosby. He has the Devils atop the Atlantic Division once again, putting together some of the finest single-season stats of his career. And though he will go down as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history, Brodeur has never won the Hart Trophy, which could sway the votes in his favor. But Brodeur is playing behind an experienced team that knows how to win; ten members still remain from New Jersey's 2003 Cup-winning squad. And so, given that all other factors are virtually even, Luongo must hold the edge in this comparison as well.

In nearly every one of the Canucks' victories this season, Luongo has been by far their best player, and last night's win over the Oilers was no exception. He faced 37 shots, including numerous odd-man rushes, and he helped the Canucks escape with a 2-1 victory despite the absences of two top-four defensemen, Sami Salo and Willie Mitchell. Without question, Luongo is the key to the Canucks' playoff hopes. And given that he has been the best goaltender in the Western Conference this season, Luongo might well prove to be the difference-maker in the postseason as well.