More : | | | | | 5. : Ask people in Pittsburgh and they will probably tell you Evgeni Malkin hasn't been playing his best hockey for much of the postseason. Then again, Malkin's performance always seems to come under intense scrutiny in Pittsburgh no matter what he does or how well he plays. There is probably some truth to the argument he can be better than he's been, but that's simply a testament to how much talent this guy has because he's been pretty outstanding for the . He's been one of their best po se sion Ryan Donato Jersey players (his linemate, James Neal, ) and is their leading scorer.Not bad for a guy who supposedly isn't playing his best. Eastern Conference Final Preview 4. Marian Ho sa: I think everybody acro s the league agrees Marian Ho sa is a special player, but sometimes I wonder if we truly appreciate just how good he is (and has been throughout his career), especially in Chicago, where he usually loses out on headlines to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Through the first two rounds Ho sa is tied for Chicago's lead in scoring, averaging almost a point per game for the , Isaak Phillips Jersey and continues to get it done at both ends of the ice. He's one of the NHL's best two-way players and has been great in the playoffs.3. : If the Penguins don't Connor Bedard Jersey make the switch from Marc-Andre Fleury to Tomas Vokoun before Game 5 against the Islanders I'm not convinced they win that series. Vokoun has taken over the starting job in Pittsburgh and been absolutely incredible ever since, which shouldn't be that much of a surprise. He's been one of the best goalies in the NHL for the past eight years, and he's still playing like it right now. There is only one goalie in the NHL that has a higher save percentage this postseason, and we'll get to him in a minute.2. : I don't even know if David Krejci has been Boston's best player this postseason, but you can't overlook the fact he has more points through two rounds than any other player and that's going to count for something. Why? Because that's the way these things work. Since 2000 there have been six non-goalies to win the Conn Smythe trophy. Two of them were defenseman (Scott Niedermayer and Ed Olczyk Jersey Nicklas Lidstrom). The other four were either first or second in the NHL in scoring that postseason (three of them were first). He's always been a key part of Boston's lineup but he's never really scored at a pace like this. It's not going to last forever, but that's OK because the only need him to keep it up for a few more weeks. 1. : It has to be Jonathan Quick. It can't be anybody other than Jonathan Quick. The are in the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row and once again look like a powerhouse team that can win it all. They're trying to become the first repeat champions the NHL has seen since the late 1990s, and with the unbelievable play they're Ethan Del Mastro Jersey getting from Quick in net I wouldn't want to bet against them doing it.