These four players are important parts of their team any time of the year. With four squads left in the NHL playoffs, their success is as crucial as it gets.
The grind of the NHL playoffs continues as we are down to the final four. The Conference finals are set as the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Florida Panthers in the East while the Vegas Golden Knights face the Dallas Stars in the West.
As per usual, there are no Canadian teams in the final four, ensuring we reach three decades since a Canadian squad hoisted the Cup. That means Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews will have to wait at least another year for their chance at glory. That doesn’t mean we don’t have a number of impact players left in the NHL playoffs.
Let’s take a look at each conference final squad’s X-Factor.
Martin Necas, RW, Carolina Hurricanes
Regular season: 82 GP, 28 G, 43 A, 71 PTS
Playoffs: 11 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 PTS
The breakout offensive player for the Hurricanes this year hasn’t made the impact you’d hope while the team is without three of their best offensive producers. Martin Necas put up 71 points in 82 games, a 0.87 points-per-game clip. This post-season, despite Carolina’s success, Necas is rolling at just a 0.55 clip. While he’s certainly not been poor, he hasn’t been the same player.
His speed, skill, and creativity have been magic ingredients for the Hurricanes this season. He helped put them over the top and give them an element they’ve lacked over the years. The Panthers are a physical team, and the Canes will need someone to cut through their aggressive forecheck. Having Necas problem solving his way out of pressure and gashing the defense with his speed and skill could be a massive win for Carolina in the penultimate playoff series. If Necas can get his scoring back on track, the Canes should come out on top.
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
Regular season: 50 GP, 24-20-3, 3.07 GAA, .901 SP
Playoffs: 10 GP, 7-2, 2.82 GAA, .918 SP
The best five-game stretch of Sergei Bobrovsky’s tenure with the Panthers came in the five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, including a 50-save overtime win in Game 6 to eliminate the Leafs. Bobrovsky’s return to Vezina form was a welcome sight for Florida as relying on an unproven Alex Lyon would have been a risky bet.
Despite a trying season that took them 81 games to clinch a playoff spot, the Panthers came off a Presidents’ Trophy season and were talked about as a potential sleeping giant heading into the playoffs. Bobrovsky is playing at an elite level again, making massive saves with his technique and athleticism. Could Bobrovsky finally be the obstacle that the Canes’ injury-riddled offense can’t overcome?
Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights
Regular season: 67 GP, 27 G, 39 A, 66 PTS
Playoffs: 11 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 PTS
He may have been overshadowed by McDavid at the 2015 NHL draft, but Jack Eichel came out ahead in their first playoff series against each other.
The Golden Knights’ No. 1 center has been an offensive catalyst. He led the team in points during the regular season and the first two rounds. He tops the bunch in goals as well during the playoffs, giving the Knights the game-breaking talent they needed to break through and be a legitimate threat in the playoffs.
Eichel’s offensive game is usually very good, but he’s taken it to another level, the level that was expected when Vegas traded for him. His defensive game and the board play he’s exhibited have been outstanding, highlighted by a diving poke check on Leon Draisaitl in the elimination game against the Oilers. Eichel is finally showing just why he was viewed as a franchise player coming out of the draft.
Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars
Regular season: 82 GP, 46 G, 63 A, 109 PTS
Playoffs: 12 GP, 2 G, 10 A, 12 PTS
Much has been made of Robertson’s underwhelming post-season to this point, but he still produced at a point per game. Robertson certainly isn’t his dominant self, but he’s finding a way to produce. If he can reclaim some of the dominance he had in the regular season, the Stars could a lethal force.
Robertson plays at a slower pace than most stars but tactically picks his opponents apart. That could serve him well against a more passive Vegas defensive structure, where they collapse and try to block shots.
The Stars have a ton of firepower, but a full-strength Robertson could put them over the top.