NHL: Key Players For Eastern Conference Playoff Teams
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.
Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin
The Carolina Hurricanes are known for the talent and depth they possess on their defense. But with the injury to Dougie Hamilton, their defensive flaws are being exposed. The team lacks top-pair talent and with their star defenseman out, Jaccob Slavin has been counted on to stop the bleeding.
In the seven games Hamilton has been out, Slavin has played over 25 minutes a night six times, including the shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights in which he played 27:12. He has yet to make up for the production of Hamilton but has really been relied on to fill in the minutes and shut down the top lines of other teams. With the offseason acquisitions of Jake Gardiner and Joel Edmunson not panning out as well as Don Waddell would have liked, it magnifies the importance of Slavin and his role with the team.
He’s on pace to demolish his previous career-high in point as he already has 27 points (5G 22A) in 55 games played. Slavin is getting better every single year and has established himself as a leader in the locker room. The Hurricanes struggle to play at a high competitive level at a consistent rate but with a player like Slavin leading the example on and off the ice, it should help the team regain their swagger.
Philadelphia Flyers: Brian Elliott
With Carter Hart out with an abdominal injury, the Philadelphia Flyers desperately need Brian Elliott to step up in a big way to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Flyers have good offensive depth and average 3.1 goals per game so they are able to give Elliott a cushion to work with.
In addition to strong team offense, the Flyers do a great job of limiting the number of shots their goaltender sees. Philadelphia is the best team in the league in the least shots on goal allowed (1574) Even though that is impressive, the Flyers don’t need incredible team defense to help out Brian Elliott as he does very well when facing more than 30 shots. This season, he has played 11 games in which he has seen 30+ shots and his record is a dominant 8-1-2. As long as the team can provide him with some offense, he has proven that he can shut things down.
Ever since Hart has been out, Elliott has a 5-1-1 record and a .916 save percentage. This is a huge help for the Flyers both in the standings as well as eases the minds of their management team. If Elliott was struggling in net, it might have forced Hart to return before he was at 100% or influenced Chuck Fletcher to make a desperation move to fix the goalie situation.
Instead, Elliott has stepped up in a big way and kept his team in the race. If the Flyers want to catch the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders in the standings, Elliott will need to continue his dominant play.
Florida Panthers: Aaron Ekblad
The Florida Panthers have one of the league’s best offense but on the flip side, they also give up a ton of goals. With Sergei Bobrovsky not playing to his intended level, it is up to the Panthers’ defense to help bail the team out. Aaron Ekblad has become Florida’s star defenseman and a critical player if they want to get back in the playoff picture.
Ekblad plays on the penalty kill, the power play, and is on the top pairing that is responsible for shutting down their opponent’s best players. He can hit, he can shoot, he can pass, and he can lead the rush. There aren’t many things that Ekblad can’t do and he has established himself as a top defenseman in the NHL.
His 22:54 minutes a night is the most on the Panthers and it’s obvious that Joel Quenneville puts a lot of trust in him. If Florida wants to snatch a playoff spot, they’re going to need to play better defensively and it starts with their star defenseman, Ekblad.
The team has lost three straight games since their comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, including a 7-2 stomping at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. This team needs to come together quickly and get their defensive game sorted out before their chance slips away.
Two of their next three games are against the Philadelphia Flyers who are three points ahead of the Panthers. Those two games will make or break Florida’s playoff hopes and they’re going to need everyone at the top of their game to get the job done.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Jake Muzzin
The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best offenses of the NHL. Auston Matthews has already hit 40 goals in just 56 games played and William Nylander is having the best offensive season of his career. However, with both Frederik Andersen. Morgan Rielly, and Cody Ceci out with injuries, the focus on the Maple Leafs’ defense has been magnified.
While the Leafs can score in bunches, they can also give up leads at any given moment. Jake Muzzin and his play on the top pairing will be critical if the Leafs want to remain third in the Atlantic Division. He is the Leafs’ best defenseman and is counted on to replace the minutes lost with Rielly’s injury as well as bring a physical element to the team’s play.
Muzzin and Justin Holl are relied on to be the Leafs’ “shutdown” pairing and play big minutes against the other team’s top talent. In addition to being strong defensively, he is also expected to jump into the rush and join the cycle whenever an opportunity opens up as that is the kind of style the Maple Leafs have been playing under Sheldon Keefe.
Next. Injuries that could cost their team's playoff hopes. dark
With Cody Ceci out, the Leafs now rely heavily on Muzzin to kill penalties and he averages 2:26 minutes a night on the PK. The key injuries to important defensive players have pushed almost all the responsibility onto Muzzin’s shoulders. With a team that gives up so many offensive opportunities the other way, the team will really need him to step up and deliver until the cavalry returns from the IR.