The battle for the Stanley Cup hardly ever goes as planned. In many cases, teams with mediocre seasons turn it on in the playoffs and put together a team run.
Last season, the Los Angeles Kings sneaked into the postseason as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference before dominating every team it faced en route to a title.
After a shortened season, these playoffs are certain to be even crazier as lower-seeded teams look to replicate the Kings' success.
There is still a lot left to be decided in the final few weeks of the season, but here are the biggest sleepers heading into the NHL playoffs.
Ottawa Senators
In the NHL, a talented goaltender can lead a team deep into the postseason. When Craig Anderson is healthy, he can be that leader.
The veteran goalie missed a good portion of the year with an ankle injury, but he is first in the league with a 1.52 goals against average. If he remains healthy, he can be a force for the Senators in the playoffs.
Ottawa has the second-best defense in the NHL thanks to the efforts of Anderson as well as Robin Lehn ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Rob Goldberg
NHL Playoff Predictions 2013: Sleepers That Will Make Deep Postseason Runs
April 16th, 2013 by Rob Goldberg Leave a reply »
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