The conference semi-finals are nearly complete in the 2024 NHL post-season and while many helped their respective teams achieve success, three players stood above all others.

Welcome back to a new Stanley Cup playoff edition of THN’s Three Stars of the Week. In this regular feature, we choose three NHL players who produced big results in the last seven days of the NHL’s post-season. Onward, we go:

3. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers

Bobrovsky was the best goaltender of the week, posting a 1.70 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in three games. The 35-year-old now has a 2.37 G.A.A, and .902 SP in 11 playoff games this year, and his career playoff numbers include a 2.94 G.A.A. and .905 SP in 81 career playoff appearances.

Bobrovsky is fortunate to be playing behind a stellar Panthers defense corps – and a group of forwards that is led by 2024 Selke Trophy-winner Aleksander Barkov – but because he’s got a $10-million salary cap hit, Bobrovsky’s competitive bar is extremely high. He’s under contract for two more seasons after the current season, and by the time the contract expires, Bobrovsky may not look like a great year-in, year-out acquisition. But he outplayed Boston Bruins counterpart Jeremy Swayman, and now his challenge is to be better than New York Rangers superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. If Bobrovsky comes up with another tremendous performance against the Blueshirts, no one will be surprised.

2. Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers

Bouchard generated a league-best three goals – including one game-winner – and seven points in four games this week, out-performing Vancouver star blueliner Quinn Hughes. The 24-year-old Bouchard also averaged 25:58 of ice time per game, and with 18 points in just 11 games, Bouchard also has topped his career-best total of 17 points in 12 playoff games last spring.

Bouchard won’t win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top D-man this year, but his ability to create offense is well above-average, and he’s the best defenseman the Oilers have got. If he comes up big in Edmonton’s Game 7 against the Canucks on Monday, the Oilers will knock off Vancouver and Bouchard will set a new personal best of games played in one playoff tournament. He’s emerging at the time games matter most, and he’s only going to get better.

1. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas Stars

Heiskanen produced four points in three games this week, but the most impressive statistic was his average ice time of 30:53 – the best total of any NHLer still active in the post-season. The 24-year-old Finn may not beat his personal-best total of 20 assists and 26 points (set in 27 games of the 2019-20 playoff campaign), but the Stars are a deeper, better team than they were at that time, and they don’t need Heiskanen to do all the heavy lifting.

It’s true Heiskanen’s time-on-ice total this week was ratcheted up by Dallas’ double-overtime win over Colorado in Game 6, but you have to give him his due – he was on the ice for a whopping 38:26 of ice time, including 37:12 at full strength. In the six-game series against the Avalanche, Heiskanen had at least one point in all but one game, and he had eight points overall against the Avs in these playoffs. He has yet to win his first Norris Trophy as the league’s best blueliner, but after another highly impressive showing in the current post-season, it’s only a matter of time before Heiskanen is recognized as the best all-around D-man on the planet.