NHL teams are about to enter the playoffs and begin the long grind toward the Stanley Cup. Each team will rely heavily on its top players, who usually play an up-the-middle position—goal, defense, center—although the scorers often snipe from the wing.
Along with each team's impact performers—usually four or five men per club—there are outliers, or X-factors, who could come into play. It could be a backup player, someone with an injury worry, or a player returning from injury or a slump from last season's playoffs—such as Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Each of these could play a large role in identifying the eventual Stanley Cup winner.
Here are the X-factors for every 2016 Stanley Cup contender, as well as some key indicators we can look for this spring.
Note: Players chosen for this article are deemed to be those who could have the largest possible impact on the playoffs. This could take place either by recovering from previous issues—as was the case with Stamkos last spring—or by taking on an important job and running with the opportunity, which could happen in the Anaheim Ducks crease.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Allan Mitchell
The Biggest X-Factor for Every 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Contender
March 24th, 2016 by Allan Mitchell Leave a reply »
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