Taking a look at 10 players who need to have a strong playoffs after underwhelming seasons.
The new season - the real season! - has finally arrived.
What a great opportunity for some players to bounce back from their troubling seasons.
There are numerous players in the NHL who have the opportunity to salvage their years with a strong showing in the playoffs. Here are 10:
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: Hard to believe a player who finished seventh in NHL scoring is being charged with having an off-year, but the reality is he was not the dominant player we've seen in the past. To his credit, Ovechkin bought into his team's new defence-first approach and that certainly had a bearing on his reduction in scoring. One year after scoring 50 goals and 109 points, Ovechkin checked in with 32 goals and 85 points. By comparison, Sidney Crosby was on pace for 66 goals and 132 points before he was injured.
Michael Ryder, Boston Bruins: No one will deny Ryder's scoring ability, but too often he fails to bring his talent to the table. His indifference doesn't always play for well for demanding coach Claude Julien who has been known to make Ryder a healthy scratch on occasion. Two years ago, Ryder had 13 points in 11 playoff games and he'll need to repeat that pace again for the Bruins to have a chance at the Stanley Cup.
Tim Connolly, Buffalo Sabres: Every now and then Connolly will do something that reminds you of his incredible skill level. At the same time, it also reminds you how infrequently he uses that skill. The Sabres have been a great story down the stretch, particularly since Terry Pegula took over as owner, and they'll need everything Connolly can give them in their opening round series against the bigger, strong Philadelphia Flyers.
Scott Gomez, Montreal Canadiens: The Canadiens have a high number of underachievers, but none more than Gomez. Having scored just seven goals and 38 points in 80 games, to go with a dismal minus-15 rating, Gomez did little to justify his $8 million salary. This is a guy who has won two Cups and once scored 33 goals and 84 points for the New Jersey Devils.
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks: One year after winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman, Keith suffered a drastic drop-off in his production. He went from being second amongst NHL defenceman in scoring with 14 goals and 69 points in 82 games to 18th with seven goals and 42 points. He also went from plus-21 to minus-1.
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: To his credit, Howard did manage to have back-to-back 37 win seasons, but he clearly didn't play at the same level he did last season. Howard's goals-against average rose to 2.79 from 2.26 and his save percentage dipped to .908 from .924. There's a reason why the Red Wings were interested in Evgeni Nabokov. The Wings were clearly concerned that goaltending could be their downfall in the playoffs.
Chris Drury, New York Rangers: Drury was hurt for most of the season and made an inspirational return to the lineup by helping his team get into the playoffs with a goal. The problem is that it was his first and only goal of the season. That's one goal in 24 games. Nobody denies Drury's leadership, but he needs to find his scoring touch for the Rangers to have any chance in their first round series against the Washington Capitals.
Alexei Ponikarovsky, Los Angeles Kings: What the heck happened to this guy? After averaging 20 goals a year during his five-year run with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ponikarovsky flopped with just two goals in 16 games and one in 11 playoff games with Pittsburgh last year before scoring just five goals in 61 games with the Kings this year. At 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds, Ponikarovsky has the size and speed to be a quality player, but he seems disengaged.
J. P. Dumont, Nashville Predators: Dumont has never been an upper echelon scorer, but you could always count on him to be in the 20-goal, 60-point neighborhood. This year, Dumont managed just 10 goals and 19 points in 70 games. A strong post-season showing would help make amends.
Wojtek Wolski, New York Rangers: Based on his pure skill, Wolski should be a top scorer in the NHL. But there's a reason why he's playing for his third team in two years - he goes through the motions far too often. He teases you with his talent and disappears for long stretches. Twelve goals and 35 points in 73 games are very pedestrian numbers for a player with his talent.
