As we continue progressing through the NHL's Eastern and Western Conference semifinals, a number of players are making some big names for themselves.
That's especially true for players who are competing in the first playoff action of their NHL careers.
We've broken down each first-round series, as well as how the second-round slate has gone, and have come up with five players (in no particular order) that stand out among their first-time peers.
Granted, there were some players like Chicago's Brandon Saad, who is a finalist for the Calder Trophy as top rookie of the year, who probably should be on this list.
But Saad played in two playoff games last season, making him ineligible for this list.
Ditto for Ottawa's Jakob Silfverberg, who played in two playoff games last season, and Detroit's Gustav Nyquist, who played in four playoff games last season.
Surprisingly, three of the five positions on this list are occupied by teammates from a surprising team helped by the surprising play of the players themselves.
Granted, there are several other players who are playing well in their first postseason action, but up to this point just haven't ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jerry Bonkowski
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