In this week's playoff themed "On the Fly," theScore's weekly NHL roundtable series, we take a look at four players who have put forth surprising - good or bad - performances throughout the postseason thus far.
Jakob Silfverberg - Ducks
O'Leary: Perhaps after reaching a new career high in points this season, Silfverberg's impressive playoffs shouldn't qualify as a surprise, but be honest - did you expect him to have the second-highest goal output among all players nearly midway through the postseason?
Through eight games, Silfverberg's racked up seven goals and two assists, and delivered a monumental overtime winner in Game 4 versus the Oilers to even the series at 2-2.
Deployed in a shutdown role with Ryan Kesler and Andrew Cogliano, Silfverberg is getting it done at both ends of the ice, and has individually controlled 53 percent of shot attempts in the playoffs at five-on-five.
His production is drawing the attention of opposing defenses, and opening up more opportunities for Ryan Getzlaf's top line - something that's working rather well for the Ducks at the moment.
Braden Holtby - Capitals
(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)
Gold-Smith: Holtby hasn't been underwhelming by most goalies' standards in these playoffs, but he hasn't been his typically dominant self.
The Washington Capitals netminder has an .867 save percentage in four games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a .909 mark over the whole postseason. It's a small sample size, sure, but now is not the time for the reigning Vezina Trophy winner to be merely average.
Holtby allowed four goals in three separate first-round games as the Capitals required six contests to dispatch the upstart but inexperienced Toronto Maple Leafs, and he was pulled before the third period of Game 2 against the Penguins after allowing three goals on 14 shots.
He's faced only 83 shots in 4 games against Pittsburgh, or about 21 per game in the series. Some goaltenders have trouble getting into a rhythm when they're not peppered with shots, but Holtby's play is still concerning for a Capitals club on the brink of elimination.
Bobby Ryan - Senators
Livingstone: Ryan's first four seasons as a Senator have not exactly gone to plan.
Following the July 2013 trade that sent him to Ottawa in exchange for Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen, and a 2014 first-round draft pick, Ryan has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that come along with being a four-time 30-goal scorer.
Fast forward to today, and Ryan has gone from perennial whipping boy to one of the main figures in the Senators' Stanley Cup drive.
What a time to be alive (Drake voice).
The 30-year-old sniper has been a catalyst for the Sens in these playoffs, and is currently in a three-way tie for the team's postseason points lead along with Derick Brassard and Erik Karlsson at eight.
Despite another dismal regular-season performance this past campaign in which he registered his lowest offensive output in four years (13 goals and 12 assists), Ryan is proving his haters wrong with a postseason to remember.
Sure, there's a lot of puck left to be played, but if Ryan keeps up his current pace and the Sens continue to advance, a Conn Smythe nod may not be completely outside the realm of possibility.
Connor McDavid - Oilers
Hagerman: During their first postseason run in 11 years, the Edmonton Oilers are making some noise.
The club knocked off the defending Western Conference champion, the San Jose Sharks, in Round 1, and have earned a split through four contests with the Pacific Division-winning Anaheim Ducks.
It's been a great performance, despite a less dominant Connor McDavid.
The Art Ross Trophy winner has been good, but not spectacular in his first taste of playoff hockey.
He's posted four goals and seven points in 10 games - solid numbers for most players, but sorry Connor, we expect more from a godly talent.
Of course, expectations were even higher after McDavid concluded the year with some ridiculous numbers. He ended the regular season on a 14-game point streak that saw him amass a total of 25 with eight multi-point contests.
In the playoffs, though, McDavid remains without a multi-point game. He's still dazzled - his goal in Game 4 was proof - but we expect a little more from the player who will likely take home the Hart Trophy next month.
(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)
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