We’re two rounds into the playoffs, and as always, plenty of heroes are emerging. Some of them are names you expect, like the unstoppable Connor McDavid, the red-hot Andrei Vasilevskiy, or Game 7 OT winners from Artemi Panarin and Johnny Gaudreau. But there have also been the surprising names, with guys like Nick Paul, Ian Cole and Louis Domingue having big moments.
That’s part of the fun of the postseason, as the ultimate team sport allows individuals to take the spotlight, however briefly. Sometimes it’s the expected performance from a superstar, sometimes it’s the start of a new phase of someone’s career, and sometimes it’s just one of those flukes that never happens again.