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NHL: Key Players For Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

By Jasmine Yen

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 27: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Jake Muzzin (8) reacts during warm ups before the NHL regular season game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 27, 2019, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 27: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Jake Muzzin (8) reacts during warm ups before the NHL regular season game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 27, 2019, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

The playoff race is heating up and there are a bunch of teams fighting for very limited spots. Here are key players for the bubble playoff teams in the Eastern Conference.

While hockey is a team sport, star players are necessary to separate the good teams from the great. These players will be vital if their teams want to succeed in the playoff race, especially with how competitive the wild-card spots are this season.

Here are the key players for each bubble playoff team in the East.

New York Islanders: Semyon Varlamov

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The New York Islanders do not have a roster with names that jump out. This is a very blue-collar team that works hard and plays a strong team system to win. They don’t score much (just 2.9 goals per game) and have just one player with more than 20 goals (Brock Nelson has 21). However, the Islanders play a very strong defensive system that works so well that it won Barry Trotz the Jack Adams Award last season.

No matter how good the team defense is, with the system Trotz implemented, the goaltenders are the most important piece. The month of January was not good for the team as they went 4-5-2 and have slowly slipped down the Metropolitan division.

A big reason for this slide was the lack of success Semyon Varlamov has had in net that month. In 7 games played, he had a 1-5-1 record and a .900 save percentage in addition to a season-worst 6 goals allowed in one game. With the offensive struggles the Islanders have, poor goaltending will sink their ship. Unless Varlamov can get back to his dominance in the crease, the Islanders will continue to slowly slip down the standings.

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