Top 5 Active NHL Playoff Performers

5. Patrik Elias

Sixteen seasons after first skating for the New Jersey Devils, Patrik Elias has never left. Leading the Devils record books in almost every possible offensive category, Elias has hoisted two Stanley Cups in his NHL term. Coming into the playoffs, Elias had played 142 playoff games racking up 119 points. He was a potent force with linemates Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora when the Devils won the Stanley Cup in 2000. In those playoffs, he put up 20 points in 23 games. Elias turned 36 this past April, but as seen by his play this season, he shows no signs of slowing down. He will, in the end, most likely retire a Devil.

4. Niklas Lidstrom

Not much has to be said about future Hall of Fame defenseman. In fact, not only is he one of the best active playoff performers, he is one of the best defenseman to ever play in the NHL with the likes of Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, and others. Coming into the playoffs, Lidstrom had played 261 playoff games, which is more games than some players see in their entire career. Averaging over 28 minutes per ice time throughout his playoff career, Lidstrom had 183 points in those games. The even more noticeable stat is the plus 61 rating making sure defense came before offense. Not only does Lidstrom play spectacular defense while still putting up points, he is also one of the most durable players the NHL has ever seen. Watch him for as long as you can because you may never see a player of Lidstrom's caliber ever again.

3. Jaromir Jagr

Not many would have believed when Jagr left the NHL two seasons ago that he would one day come back. However, when Jagr signed with the Flyers this past offseason, one of the NHL's playoff greats was ready for another taste of the playoffs. Since 1990, when Jagr sported an awesome mullet, he has been reigning supreme in the NHL Playoffs.With two Stanley Cups under his belt, Jagr is over a point per game player in the playoffs. Coming into this season, he had 187 points in only 173 games, a magnificent accomplishment. In the first round, he kept that streak up with six points in four games. With tons of other hardware in Jagr's trophy case, you are looking at one of the best playoff.....well, NHL players of all time.

2. Henrik Zetterberg

A seventh round pick in 1999, Zetterberg has been one of the most consistent playoff performers since his start. Coming into 2012, Zetterberg had played 108 playoff games and scored 101 points. 27 of these points came in 2008, when the Red Wings beat the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. The reason he is so high on the list is because Zetterberg has a long way to go in his career. Detroit is always a contender and Zetterberg will always be a big part of his team. If he keeps up this pace, Zetterberg will end his career one day with a point per game average, an incredible stat.

1. Danny Briere

A very good regular season player, not many would expect the small framed forward to be a huge playoff performer. However, Briere is one of those players that takes his game up another notch in the NHL Playoffs, coming into this season with 102 points in 101 playoff games. Not only is that a point per game, Briere has played "hero" numerous times in his playoff career. In 2010, Briere posted 30 points in just 23 games before losing in game six to the Chicago Blackhawks. Yesterday afternoon, Briere showed his magic again, scoring not only one, but two goals in OT against the Devils (one was reversed for a kick). The reason for the top nomination is because of the timing of some of these points he's scored. 

Didn't Think Much About The Phoenix Coyotes....

Think Again

Going into last nights game, my mind never came across the Phoenix Coyotes being able to stick with the Nashville Predators, nevertheless beating them in double overtime after a set face off play left Ray Whitney open back door behind one of the best defenseman in the league in Shea Weber. However, looking deep into a  team that is owned by the NHL, doesn't have many prospective buyers to keep them in Glendale, Arizona, and is surrounded by big time divisional teams like the Los Angeles Kings, and you see a speedy, deep team that compete with the best of them.

Before going into why the Coyotes are playing so well, first you have to comment GM Don Maloney. Without much to work with, Maloney has put together a team that has been on the uprise the past few seasons and have now made the playoffs the past three seasons. The other person you have to look at for this rise in the past few years in Head Coach Dave Tippett, who in his 9 NHL seasons as a bench boss, has only missed the playoffs once. In three seasons with Phoenix, Tippett has done a tremendous job working with what players he has in front of him. The past two seasons, the Coyotes had early exits in the first round of the playoffs, however, after gaining steam down the stretch, the Coyotes find themselves in a very good position this year.

The question is how are they able to sustain such a consistent performance with a team that sits $10 million below the cap maximum? One reason is Tippett's coaching while the other is the players buying into what their head coach has to say. With this, if they continue to do so, the Coyotes just might see themselves pushing further than just the second round of the NHL Playoffs. Defensively, the Coyotes do not panic. Instead, they give teams the outside to move the puck once they enter the zone. The key is they keep the other teams outside and collapse in the middle into a structure some coaches would call the "house." They block as many shots as they can, as seen by the 15 they had last night. The other key is the man between the pipes, Mike Smith. He has been nothing short of sensational down the stretch and so far in the playoffs winning countless overtime games in round one while already winning another in round two last night. The defense, led by veteran Keith Yandle, also do a nice job of keeping the other teams away from their netminder. Whatever does make it to the net is swallowed by Mike Smith and the big defensive bodies then push the offenders away from the net. 

On the offensive side of the puck, the Coyotes are led by well-respected Captain Shane Doan. They are not flashy nor overly physical. Instead, the Coyotes come with speed into the zone and force the opposing defense to make a play. They also try to create off man rushes out of their own zone when gaining control by using that speed. Contributors in that area include Stanley Cup winner Ray Whitney, newly crowned 35 goal scorer Radim Vrbata, two time round one overtime scorer Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal, and Antoine Vermette, among others. They are not big bodied or overly aggressive, yet very speedy and shifty. Whenever the opportunity comes for an open shot, they take it and crash the net for the rebound. The speed keeps defenders on their heels while allowing the Coyotes a little extra space which is all they need. 

So far, this playoffs, the one thing the Coyotes have done is kept games close. They are well conditioned for overtime games and do not panic. Instead, they seem calm as if it were early on in the game. When their opponent least expects it, they strike, as seen with the beautiful overtime winner off the set faceoff play by Ray Whitney last night. Most of the first overtime they were on their heels but did not panic. They stayed with the game plan of allowing their goalie to keep them in it while limiting the amount of quality scoring chances. When the opportunity to end the game arose, Phoenix made no mistake. 

At this point I think everyone needs to throw the Coyotes into the mix because they are far from out of it. If they keep up the way they are playing in Head Coach Dave Tippett's system, you just may see the desert win a date with Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Remaining EAST Contenders

After two pivotal game sevens last night, both one goal games, the East is shaping up to be a battle. Three Atlantic Division foes remain while a sleeper in the Capitals has also gained some attention. The real question is who has the depth and goaltending to make it all the way to the Cup Finals? After picking the Preds from the West, here is my take on the future of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

The #1 seed remains in the East. After the Kings tormented the #1 Canucks in the West, it seemed the Rangers would be joining them. However, after two well played team games, the Rangers outlasted the Senators in seven and take on the sleeper Capitals this upcoming round. The Rangers boast one of the best goalies in the league. Vezina nominee (AGAIN) and newly named Hart Trophy Finalist Henrik Lundqvist backs the Rangers with some of the best numbers in the league. The defense is carried by now veteran shutdown men Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh have been huge this year as well. The Rangers also have a potent offense with names like Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. Depth forwards like Brandon Prust and Brian Boyle have also done an excellent job of contributing and rookie Chris Kreider looks to be fitting in well after a tremendous game seven. Captain Ryan Callahan has the heart and grit to lead the Rangers as far as they want to go. The question for the Rangers is scoring. If the powerplay can click when given the opportunity and the Rangers can score more than two or three goals a game, they have a good shot of going far.

Besides the Rangers, none of the other top four seeds remain. However, unknown how they would look coming into this season after drastic offseason moves, the Atlantic Division's Flyers remain after knocking our a Stanley Cup favorite in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Holding onto the #5 seed, the Flyers will host the Devils in the next round. Up front, the Flyers have premier player Claude Giroux. The supporting cast is also very dangerous with names like Danny Briere, who has been a point per game playoff player his entire career, Jaromir Jagr, and Max Talbot. Rookies Matt Read, Sean Coutourier, and Braydon Schenn have also been a huge help for the Flyers this year. The defense, even without Captain Chris Pronger, has been strong in the playoffs. Braydon Coburn has improved year after year and Nick Grossman has been a great pickup. Matt Carle has also been very good. The big question for the Flyers, and for the past few years, has been their goaltending. Can 51 million dollar Ilya Bryzgalov prove his worth? Against the Penguins he played well enough to win, however, I can't seem to think Philly will put up 8-10 goals a game on the Devils. If Bryzgalov plays well, the Flyers could be the most dangerous team in the East.

The game seven OT winning New Jersey Devils will play the Flyers in the next round. The Devils offense looked very good in the first round. Some of their depth players had very good series' like Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta. They also have the big names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise to add to that scoring. David Clarkson has also had a very nice year totaling 30 goals in the regular season. The Devils have had a mix of defense in and out of the lineup all season and it is their biggest weakness. The main names include veteran Marek Zidlicky and Anton Volchenkov. Surrounding them include names like Mark Fayne and Andy Greene. Rookie blueliner Adam Larsson had a nice first year, however, has not been seen so far in the playoffs due to his recent struggles. Hall of Fame goaltender Marty Brodeur tends the pipes and did he ever look good in overtime last night during game seven. The Devils were out-chanced in the first OT but Brodeur was up to the challenge and leads them into the second round. The biggest question for the Devils is can there defense hold off the aggressive, physical style the Flyers bring? The other question is whether or not the Devils can stop giving up early leads?

Finally, comes the sleeping #7 seeded Washington Capitals. On the brink of elimination the last day of the season, the Capitals went into New York and beat the Rangers to not only make the playoffs but grab the #7 seed. Nobody expected them to beat the Bruins, however, with replacement head coach Dale Hunter, the Capitals did a nice job shutting down the top lines of the Bruins and keeping games close. Joel Ward found a loose puck in front in game seven OT and look where they are now. Rookie goaltender Braden Holtby overall was very stellar keeping the Capitals in games. Their defense is deep and trustworthy on the back end. Offensive defensemen John Carlson and Mike Green make them dangerous in the offensive zone and Dennis Wideman has had a great year in his first in D.C. Up front, you can never count out Alex Ovechkin who has been ridiculed at some points this year for his play. Niklas Backstrom seems back to normal after a concussion kept him out of the lineup for over 25 games late in the season. Matt Hendricks brings some grit and scoring as well as some others like Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich, and Mike Knuble. Alexander Semin has been the only powerplay threat so far for the Capitals but that can change at any time. The question for the Capitals is can they produce enough offense while hoping Holtby can do enough to keep the games close? If they stay in every game, they have a shot to win.

My thoughts on the East go like this. First off, this is the tougher of the two conferences to pick. The Rangers seem to have been awoken after going down three games to two originally to the Senators. Therefore, I think they will eventually rattle Holtby and take the series in six games. The Devils and Flyers have a ton of question marks surrounding the series. Who will be the more aggressive team? How will the goalies fare against potent offenses? Etc etc etc. Philadelphia is built for the playoffs, however, in my mind, and I will take them in seven games. That will leave the conference between the Rangers and Flyers. Six wins in six attempts means nothing for the Rangers at this point. However, with Henrik Lundqvist playing as good as he is I can't see the Rangers losing to them after having their number all year. Rangers will meet the Predators in the Stanley Cup. 

I'm very excited for the upcoming rounds. Can't wait to see who takes the series' and moves on.  

Who is the BEST Western Conference Team?

With the Western Conference Round One Playoffs finishing up a few days ago, it is easy to see that all four teams are very talented and can go a long way in the playoffs. They all rely heavily on their goaltenders, as most teams do, but also have a variety of other weapons within their lineup. The question is....who will push through and make it through the next two rounds for a chance at the Cup?

First, the #2 seeded St. Louis Blues. Jaro Halak was named starter for the playoffs but after an injury early on set him aside, Brian Elliot hopped in. So far, he's been nothing short of excellent. The Blues are a very young team but guided by one of the best in the business, a sure candidate for coach of the year, Ken Hitchcock. He system relies mainly on defense but that doesn't mean they can't put the puck in the net. On the back end, led by the young, up and coming Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues sport a mix of young and talented with grizzly veterans. Roman Polak has been a great help in the first round and the stellar play of Shattenkirk and Colaiacovo has also been good. On offense, they have a ton of young, hungry players led by a favorite of mine, David Backes. You want a power forward, that's the guy you call. Big, strong, and skilled, Backes can do an array of things. Other young names include David Perron, TJ Oshie, and Patrik Berglund. Veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner. The key to the Blues, in my opinion, may rest on Andy McDonald. If healthy and playing well, the Blues have a playmaking center capable of finding targets.

Next comes the #3 seeded Phoenix Coyotes. Many picked them to lose in their first round matchup but I knew they had a chance to win it because of one thing.....Mike Smith. The tall, athletic goaltender put up great numbers this year after getting the starting shot again. Thanks to goaltending coach Sean Burke. Smith uses his frame to take up the entire net while using his long limbs to snag anything else that may fall loose. Assistant Captain Kieth Yandle leads the defense while Captain Shane Doan leads the offense. A great surprise, at 39 years old, has been veteran Ray Whitney. The key for the Coyotes is keeping the puck out of their net. If Mike Smith can do so, they will be in every game. As seen by five of six of their round 1 games going into overtime, they keep it close and strike when least expected.

The #5 seeded Predators are the "complete" playoff team in my mind. They have a Vezina candidate for the next seven years in Pekka Rinne. Again, huge frame and quick as lightning. The man never gives up on a puck and makes some unbelievable saves. The defense helps that much more. Between three players they are dominant on the back end. Shea Weber has a cannon on the powerplay and is as tough as they come. Ryan Suter is a shut down specialist. A huge added piece and trade deadline superstar, Hal Gill (when healthy), is as good as they come. Towering 6' 7" and 241 pounds, it's pretty understandable why most teams want him when it's playoff time. The offense is just as potent also. Trade deadline acquisitions Sergei Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad provide extra help in the scoring, checking, and faceoff departments. Add in superstar Russian Alexander Radulov to the likes of Mike Fisher, Patric Hornqvist, Andrei Kostitsyn, Martin Erat, and David Legwand...one thought comes to mind....dangerous.

Finally, the not to be forgotten #8 seeded L.A. Kings. Forget that #8 seed by the way. The under-performing regular season Kings added Jeff Carter to the mix at the trade deadline. That seemed to bring a bit of fire to the lineup. Add that to the more than stellar full season play of Vezina candidate Jonathon Quick and you have a team that can go far. Up front, Anze Kopitar, from the country that can't even field an Olympic hockey team, Slovenia, leads the way. He can do it all. He's a big body and has great hands and vision as well as a great shot and release. Dustin Brown is a player any team would love to have and the Captain of the team. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are back to playing together after their days in Philadelphia. This, among great depth names like Jared Stoll, Dustin Penner, and Brad Richardson, gives the Kings a top tier offense. Defensively, losing Jack Johnson by trade doesn't help. Drew Doughty hasn't had a year like last year but after missing training camp, it's tough to make up for lost time. Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, and Rob Scuderi all have great shutdown skills and playoff experience. Slava Voynov has also been a nice surprise adding some offense from the blue line. 

Four great teams but only one can go to the finals....so who will it be? The Kings have been a huge sleeper to me and I think they are finally finding their own in the playoffs. I am going to go out on a limb and say they beat the Blues in a great seven game series. The Predators are too stacked, I believe, to lose to Phoenix. They will win in six games maximum. This will then leave the Kings and Predators fighting for the Cup spot. It will be a fantastic series if they meet with two Vezina goalies and potent offenses. In the end though, the defense of the Predators may just be too good, therefore, getting my pick to run the table to the Cup Finals. 

Who do you think will come from the West?

What the Rangers need to do tonight...

With Game 7 looming just a few hours away, the New York Rangers prepare for the biggest game of their lives. After taking the early series lead, the Rangers lost a few leads late in games at were on the brink of elimination Monday night. After some big names stepped up to help the Rangers take a 3-2 victory, it now comes down to one game and one game only. What do the Rangers need to do to win this game?

First, the offense needs to contribute more than 2 goals tonight. Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik need to keep putting pressure on Craig Anderson. One of the main problems I've noticed in this series is the big bodies on the defense for the Senators. Carkner, Gonchar, Kuba, Phillips....all these players have done a great job in defending the rebounds Anderson has given up....which has been a lot. The Rangers need to push through tonight and get to those loose pucks in front. They need to out-battle the big defenders in the corners and use their speed as the biggest weapon. Getting a goal on Anderson early would be huge but it could be one of those goalie duels we've seen lately based on how good these two are playing. Therefore, the main goals for tonight is to win the battles in the offensive zone, create good chances, and get to the rebounds with speed and smarts. 

Defensively, the Rangers seem just fine. They have done well in stopping Ottawa's big guns and keeping the puck out of the net in general. Girardi, McDonagh, and Staal will see tons of ice time tonight as they shut down the offensive attack the Senators bring. Henrik Lundqvist will surely be on his game as he's been all series. He may even be better after he was furious with the officiating in Monday's game. The Rangers defense needs to just block as many shots as they can and clear the lanes for Lundqvist to see everything. Do that successfully and you may even see a 0 on the board after the 3rd period. 

The last thing is special teams. The Rangers need to capitalize on powerplay chances tonight. When they do, they usually can put up multiple powerplay goals. They need to move the puck to open space, find the shooting lane, walk in as much as possible, and rip shots for rebounds. Callahan will have a lot to handle in front of the net but can definitely find some open seems in there. They also need to stay out of the box. Ottawa has some dangerous weapons (Spezza, Michalek, Turris, Alfi, etc) to put on the powerplay and will put the puck in if given too many chances. 

If the Rangers keep to their plan and play like they should, they can definitely come out on top. Waiting in line is a surprising Capitals team that did a nice job in beating Boston in 7.