The NHL’s best players typically lead the way during the postseason, as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have all been named Conn Smythe trophy winners. There always seems to be a player on the cup-winning team, though, that elevates his play and is considered the unexpected hero of the playoffs. This year, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel has played the part, as the youngster already has eight goals in only nine games. Here’s a look at other players since 2010 who also stepped up their play when it mattered most.
2010- Dustin Byfuglien
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Byfuglien has established himself as a borderline perennial Norris candidate with the Winnipeg Jets, but once upon a time, the 6’5 behemoth was a forward for the Chicago Blackhawks. During the team’s historic 2010 run, Buff tallied 11 goals and six assists through 22 games. It’s worth noting that Byfuglien was selected by Chicago 245th overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft.
2011- Brad Marchand
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Tim Thomas had a historic playoff run, and is likely the first person who comes to mind when the 2011 playoffs are brought up. Players such as Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, and Patrice Bergeron proved to be leaders for the B’s, but hardly anyone expected forward Brad Marchand to have had as big of a postseason as he did. A rookie at the time, Marchand scored 11 goals and eights assists through 25 games, including two in game seven of the cup finals against the Vancouver Canucks. Today, he is one of the NHL’s elite scores.
2012- Dustin Penner
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Penner didn’t light the lamp during the King’s historic eighth-seeded run, but he provided excellent depth behind the team’s all stars. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, and Mike Richards proved to be LA’s top guns, but Penner gave the team the extra push it needed to cruise through the playoffs. The Winkler, Manitoba Native recorded three goals and eight assists in 20 games.
2013- Bryan Bickell
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Bickell’s career came to an unfortunate and abrupt end this season, after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The power-forward ended his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, but made his mark in the league with the Blackhawks during the 2013 playoffs, when he scored nine goals and eight assists in 23 games.
2014- Justin Williams
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It wasn’t overly surprising when Williams was named the 2014 Conn Smythe winner, considering he had previously won two Stanley Cups and knew how to step up his play when it counted most. The Kings’ 2014 playoff run was easily his most memorable outing though, and he proved to be just as valuable to the Kings as Kopitar, Carter, and defenceman Drew Doughty. ‘Mr. Game Seven’ scored nine goals and 16 assists en route to leading LA to their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Five of those points came in the team’s three game seven contests.
2015- Brad Richards
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Where to even start? From front to bottom, this team was stacked. Chi-Town’s go-to postseason guys such as Duncan Keith, Toews and Kane, along with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa led the way, but Richards gets the nod for providing the Hawks with valuable depth. Hossa deserves consideration, however, he has been a consistent playoff performer since joining the Hawks in 2009. Richard’s play helped Chicago walk to its third cup of the decade.
2016- Nick Bonino
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To simply put it, Bonino was remarkable during the 2016 postseason. Seemingly out of nowhere, Bonino tied Malkin for third in team scoring with 18 points, and finished with a plus-13 rating. The trio of Bonino, Phil Kessel, and Carl Hagelin combined for an impressive 56 points.
