Carolina's Curtis McElhinney waited his turn to start a playoff game and now he's making the most of it, while Logan Couture continues to score at an Ovechkian pace in the post-season.
Logan Couture is scoring goals, Curtis McElhinney is stopping them and David Savard has puck-sized bruises all over his body.
Here’s a quick run through the playoff numbers so far:
Logan Couture, San Jose: Nine goals in 12 games
Playing on a West Coast team that features the larger-than-life likes of Joe Thornton, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, Couture doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. But the Sharks sniper has more goals than anyone else this spring, and he trails only Alex Ovechkin in playoff goals (50-43) since his first NHL post-season appearance in 2009-10. Couture has outscored Sidney Crosby (42), Patrick Kane (41), teammate Joe Pavelski (40) and Evgeni Malkin (39) in that span, and he’s on the verge of scoring double-digit playoff goals for the second time in four years.
Matt Nieto, Colorado: Two shorthanded goals in 10 games
Nieto scored all of four goals in 64-regular season games, with one of those coming while the Avs were shorthanded. Then the playoffs started, and Nieto has scored four goals in just 10 games, including two shorties. Who does he think he is? Nathan MacKinnon?
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado: 23:42 ice time per game
Speaking of the Avs superstar, he’s leading all NHL forwards in average ice time. At nearly 24 minutes per game – including nearly five minutes per game on the power play -- MacKinnon is on the ice as often as a top-pairing defenseman. Of course, ice time can be exaggerated in the playoffs due to overtime, but MacKinnon also ranked in the top 10 among forwards during the regular season, skating just over 22 minutes per game. He likes to stay busy.
Curtis McElhinney, Carolina: .947 save percentage
It took a while for the 35-year-old to get his first playoff start, but he’s proving to be worth the wait. McElhinney replaced an injured Petr Mrazek in Game 2 of the second round against the Islanders, and now he’s 3-0 in the post-season with a sparkling .947 save percentage. Not bad for a goalie the Hurricanes plucked off waivers at the start of the season.
Evander Kane, San Jose: 45 penalty minutes in 12 games
You’ve got to hand it to Kane, the guy’s consistent. The Sharks winger led the league in penalty minutes during the regular season (153 in 75 games) and he hasn’t missed a beat in the playoffs, leading the way with 45 PIMs in 12 games. To be fair, nearly half of his post-season penalty time have come courtesy of a couple of 10-minute misconducts, but he’s second in minor penalties assessed (eight), not to mention surviving a two-fisted, hold-on-to-your-head scrap with Vegas biggie Ryan Reaves.
Matt Duchene, Columbus: 29.4 shooting percentage
When you’ve got five goals on 17 shots in nine games, including two game-winners and an overtime winner, you might want to consider forsaking the pass and instead shooting the puck a little more often. Matt Duchene, we’re looking at you.
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina: 11 assists in 11 games
The Hurricanes blueliner has gained a reputation as a top two-way defender over the past few years, but he’s been more about defense than offense. Slavin produced 20 points in 63 games as a rookie in 2015-16, and then posted totals of 34, 30 and 31 points over the past three seasons (all of which he played a full 82-game schedule). But Slavin has found his inner Paul Coffey in his first NHL playoff experience, leading the post-season with 11 helpers. Notably, only two of his 11 assists have come on the power play, which helps to explain his plus-8 rating that’s tied for the best this spring.
Warren Foegele, Carolina, and Roope Hintz, Dallas: Five goals
Is there a Calder Trophy for the playoffs? Foegele scored 10 times in 77 games as a rookie with the Hurricanes this season, Hintz scored nine times in 58 games as a rookie with the Stars. Put the kids in the post-season, though, and they’re hitting the mark, with both Foegele and Hintz pacing their respective teams with five goals apiece.
David Savard, Columbus: 33 blocked shots
Nobody has stepped in front of more high-velocity vulcanized rubber than Savard. Fortunately, he can hide behind his Brent Burns-esque beard, secure in the knowledge that not even a 100-mile-an-hour slapshot could penetrate its whiskered resilience. (Related: Burns sits second in blocked shots in the playoffs, right behind Savard with 32.)
Patrice Bergeron, Boston: 63.2 percent on faceoffs
Nobody’s won more draws in the playoffs than Bergeron, and nobody wins them at a higher rate. It sure helps the team when you start most shifts with the puck on your stick rather than trying to chase down your opponent.