With the final stretch of the NHL season upon us, teams in and around the playoff bubble are battling for a spot in the postseason.

The 2015-16 campaign has featured some incredible performances and winning runs from several different teams, none of which would've been possible without some outstanding individual efforts.

Some players have been dominant all year long, while others have bumped their games up a notch in recent weeks to take their teams to new heights.

With under 20 games to go in each team's season, here are the top 10 players in the NHL right now:

1. Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks winger has scored at least a point per game in every month this season, and with 15 games to go, the sky's the limit for Kane, who set a new career high in points with a goal Sunday against the Red Wings.

The 27-year-old appears to be a lock for multiple NHL awards in June, and adding a fourth Cup in six years to his haul would make for one incredible month.

2. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

Nine wins over the final 17 games of the Capitals season is all the Saskatchewan native needs to break Martin Brodeur's single-season wins record of 48.

It shouldn't be much trouble for Holtby, who already has two wins in March, and hasn't lost consecutive starts once this season.

3. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

After a slow start saw him snubbed from the All-Star Game, no player has more been more productive than the Penguins captain since January's festivities in Nashville.

Crosby is back in form, as he leads the league with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) since the All-Star break. He's trying to help his team avoid a tough (but amazing) potential first-round playoff date with the league-leading Caps.

4. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

There's little doubt that Karlsson will lead all defensemen in scoring for the fourth time in five years, but his offensive prowess could match a historic precedent.

If he remains in the top three in league scoring, the Senators blue-liner would be the first defenseman to do so since Paul Coffey, who recorded 138 points with Wayne Gretzky's Oilers in 1986.

5. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

While Kane lurks just three goals behind, Ovechkin looks set to become the first player to lead the league in goals in four consecutive seasons since, of course, Gretzky.

Another Rocket Richard Trophy will likely mean little to the Capitals captain, whose season hinges on bringing Washington to its second Finals run in franchise history.

6. Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars

The league's best duo for the better part of two seasons rank as a dual entry once again, with nearly identical numbers in both scoring and Corsi For ratings.

The pair still sit in the top five in league scoring despite the Stars' offense falling asleep in January (23rd in NHL). The scoring has bounced back since, but the team's current goaltending situation may undo a terrific season from Benn and Seguin, who are both on pace for 80-point campaigns.

7. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks

After scoring just three goals in his first 43 games, the Ducks captain came alive in February and has vaulted his team up the Western Conference standings.

Getzlaf recorded a league-best 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) for the month, leading the Ducks on their current 18-1-1 run that's catapulted them to the top of the Pacific after they were last in the division on Christmas.

8. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals

The story hasn't changed for Kuznetsov, who despite getting little power-play time, just keeps racking up points for the Capitals.

The 23-year-old is one of just two players who recorded at least 15 points in each of the past two months, with the other being in a slightly different age bracket...

9. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

While Jaromir Jagr is beloved as the NHL's ageless wonder at 44, it's Thornton who's turned back the clock with 36 points in 28 games so far in 2016.

The 36-year-old is a full five years older than the closest, fellow top-10 scorer, who happens to be linemate Joe Pavelski. There must be something in the water in San Jose.

10. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

If you're wondering who has the second-most points since the All-Star break after Crosby, look no further than the teenager in Edmonton.

While many thought it was far-fetched that McDavid could play himself into Calder contention, his 1.10 points per game trail only Kane in the NHL. Tuesday's overtime winner also proved he can come through in the clutch.

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Comfort food can be helpful when you're feeling down.

For Montreal Canadiens fans living through an up and very down season with their team, the chance to dig into a free Big Mac is worth even an embrace from Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara.

- With h/t to Stanley Cup of Chowder

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Milan Michalek feels like a kid again.

Sidelined with a finger injury since Jan. 22, Michalek - acquired as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade with Ottawa - is expected to play his first game with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday against Buffalo, and is excited to take to the ice with the likes of William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, and Zach Hyman.

"There is lots of talent, as everyone can see," Michalek told Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. "I knew it coming here. I remember playing against (many of the Leafs prospects) in preseason and they looked good. I am excited to play with them.

"It’s amazing. They are so talented and really fun to be around. It’s a joy in the locker room, too. It has been tough for me coming in here being injured. It's going to be nice getting into games and getting to know my teammates that way."

The 31-year-old skated on a line with Brad Boyes and Peter Holland in practice Sunday.

Michalek remains under contract through to the end of next season at a salary cap hit of $4 million. He recorded six goals and four assists in 32 games for the Senators prior to the injury.

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Devan Dubnyk isn't a fan of how the NHL reviews challenged goals.

Pulled from Sunday's loss to St. Louis after allowing three goals on 16 shots, the Minnesota Wild goaltender called into how the officials came to a decision on the second - scored by Ryan Reaves - which was challenged based on the view that the Blues were offside.

"It's so offside that both our defensemen stopped playing and all of a sudden they have twice as much room as they would because both our guys stopped playing," Dubnyk said after the game, according to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. "You have guys on the other bench that are laughing after the goal is called, and I mean, it’s just added to the list of interesting calls on challenges for everywhere around the league this year."

Head coach John Torchetti wasn't using the apparent offside as an excuse.

In Dubnyk's view, the review shouldn't be conducted by the official who already made the call, especially with the technology they'e been equipped with.

"You don’t have the guy on the ice making the call on an iPad that’s four inches big," he continued. "It doesn’t make sense. You got a lot of technology elsewhere that people can have a look at.

"Don't get me wrong, these are the best referees in the world hands down, but you're asking a guy to go look at a video in front of 20,000 people and overturn a call he just made. It doesn't make sense. There's enough technology to go elsewhere for it."

At the end of the day, three pucks got past him, and Dubnyk was a bit more succinct when it came to judging his own performance.

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Ryan Reaves is a father. And a goal scorer.

The St. Louis Blues forward scored Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, in his first game since becoming a proud papa, but he doesn't have a puck to gift his little one.

"I completely forgot (to take the puck)," Reaves said, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. "I'm upset with myself. I'll have to keep the stick now."

Reaves has three goals and no assists in 51 games. We told you he was a goal scorer.

The Blues beat the Wild 3-2.

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