The significance of an NHL captain is often contested, but ranking them is likely to invoke even more debate.

The best captains aren't merely great players, but ones who help balance egos and lead - often both vocally and by example - teams well into the spring.

Related: Captain Power Rankings (30-16): McDavid's next, Pacioretty can only get better

Here is the NHL's second tier of captains:

15. Zdeno Chara

The veteran defenseman isn't his formerly dominant self at age 39, and the Boston Bruins are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

14. Ryan McDonagh

He's overcome some brutal luck, suffering a concussion and a jaw injury within a two-week span, then sustaining another injury Monday that could force him to miss playoff games.

13. Henrik Zetterberg

The Swedish winger has spent his entire 13-year career with the Detroit Red Wings, who named him Nicklas Lidstrom's replacement as captain in 2013.

Zetterberg has lost a step at age 35, but he's a steadying presence on the third-oldest club in the NHL as it begins the transition to a younger core featuring the likes of Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.

12. David Backes

The physical center's offensive production has dropped off in a contract year, but that hasn't slowed down the surging St. Louis Blues, and he has picked up his game lately.

11. Shea Weber

The leader of Nashville's loaded blue line has helped the Predators remain a tough out for years in the fiercely competitive Central Division, but the club has yet to advance past the second round.

10. John Tavares

Tavares locked in his third 30-goal campaign Monday, but the Islanders have slipped into wild-card territory and aren't exactly heading into a potential playoff matchup on the most inspiring note.

9. Claude Giroux

Giroux is on pace to post his lowest point total in an 82-game season since his first full campaign in 2009-10, but he's already over the 60-point plateau, so that's just a testament to how consistent he's been in his career.

8. Ryan Getzlaf

The Anaheim Ducks' first-line center struggled in the first half of the season and his prolonged slump mirrored the team's woes, but Getzlaf resurrected his campaign in the second half and his teammates followed suit.

Anaheim is now on pace to finish on a historic post-break scoring pace, and the Ducks captain is a major reason for the resurgence.

7. Erik Karlsson

Karlsson is in the midst of a Norris Trophy-caliber season and ranks among the most productive skaters in the league, but his less than flattering jab at teammates - and arguably Ottawa Senators management - didn't help his cause here.

6. Steven Stamkos

Everyone knows the Tampa Bay Lightning captain is one of the game's best offensive talents, but his value as a leader will be even more evident now that he'll miss at least a month and possibly three.

The Lightning are the youngest team in the league among playoff-bound clubs, and their only regular alternate captain, Ryan Callahan, is now banged up, too. Stamkos is a captain who leads by example, and his absence will truly illustrate how important he is to the youthful squad when healthy.

Check back Saturday for the top five captains.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was 2-0 less than three minutes in, and, for the Detroit Red Wings, it was over.

The Boston Bruins jumped all over Detroit on Thursday, winning a huge game between the clubs that ties them in the standings with 93 points, with only one game left to play for both.

Related: Clinching scenarios for Bruins, Red Wings

The Red Wings played Wednesday, earning a massive 3-0 win at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, and didn't get into Boston until very late Wednesday night - or early Thursday morning, depending on your perspective.

"That was a tough turnaround," Brad Richards said, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. "They were sitting there waiting for us."

Detroit was outshot 11-8 in the first period, but Boston truly took over in the second and third periods. The shots in the final 40 minutes: 23-7. Detroit mustered only two shots in the third period.

"I think it was a just a little bit of everything," Jimmy Howard, who was pulled after allowing five goals on 28 shots, said. "Having such an emotional high (Wednesday), coming off such a big victory, getting in relatively late last night and having to get up for another emotional game - it was tough. We just didn't have our 'A' game tonight."

"You get down 2-0 right away, that's a hard thing," said head coach Jeff Blashill.

Down 3-1 heading into the third period, the Bruins blitzed again, scoring twice in 45 seconds to end any thoughts of a comeback.

"Those first two shifts in the third period killed the game," Henrik Zetterberg said.

There are a number of scenarios by which the Red Wings can make the playoffs. The simplest: Beat the Rangers on Saturday in New York. Win and they're in.

The postseason streak's on the line. Rest up, Red Wings.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When Nashville Predators general manager David Poile traded for Filip Forsberg, he struck absolute gold.

Poile snatched the 11th overall pick in 2012 from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in April of 2013, a move that has paid huge dividends for the Predators, as they look like contenders heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Thursday night, Forsberg etched his name in the Predators history books by scoring his 33rd goal of the season, tying the franchise record set by Jason Arnott in 2008-09.

Not bad for a 21-year-old.

Forsberg's career season has drawn the praise of his Predators teammates, including captain Shea Weber.

"That's pretty impressive," Weber told John Glennon of The Tennessean. "He's a special player, a special talent. We're fortunate to have him on our team. You forget how young he is sometimes and how much he's going to keep getting better and growing. It's a great thing for him."

Preds head coach Peter Laviolette echoed the praise of Forsberg's impressive campaign.

"Filip's been a really strong player for us, especially in the second half of the season. It's nice to see him follow that up from his first year and what he was able to do."

Forsberg has one more game to attempt to break the franchise record, a Saturday night affair with the Central Division leading Dallas Stars.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not long ago, the thought of Braden Holtby eclipsing Martin Brodeur's record for wins in a season was all but a certainty. Now, though, after the Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, the best Holtby can do is tie.

Holtby is stuck at 47 wins - one shy of Brodeur's record-setting mark - with two Capitals games remaining on back-to-back nights. Head coach Barry Trotz has no intention of risking an injury for an individual accolade, so backup Philipp Grubauer will earn one of the starts.

"Absolutely not. They'll split them," Trotz said when asked if he would change his plan for the netminders.

"We've lost two games in overtime and he could have had the record," the head coach added. "And we had two cracks at it and we didn't get it for him."

Holtby, however, was more concerned with his team's effort against the surging Penguins, who topped the Caps 4-3 in overtime.

"The work ethic wasn't there, the execution, nothing was," Holtby said. "I don't even know how we were brought back to overtime."

Washington has lost five-of-seven, and three consecutive for the first time all season, which isn't good enough for Holtby and the Capitals, who have high expectations for the playoffs.

"It was a big challenge tonight going against the hottest team in the league and hopefully we realize that we're a lot better team than that," the netminder said. "We need to work. Things don't come easy in this league."

Things don't get any easier for the Capitals or Holtby's quest for win No. 48, as Washington travels to St. Louis on Saturday, and will host the Anaheim Ducks to close out the season Sunday night.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mike Modano knows a thing or two about scoring goals.

The former first overall pick scored 561 times during his career, second most among American NHLers all time. He was a perennial All-Star, scoring 30 or more goals - and 50 once - in the high-scoring 1990s. And he has an idea why goals are trending downward:

Typical forward. Blame the goalie.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Islanders earned a big win over the Rangers on Thursday night, but it wasn't all good news for the Isles, as forward Anders Lee is out indefinitely with a fractured leg, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday Sports.

Lee left the game in the first period after being hit by a slap shot from teammate Johnny Boychuk, who notoriously has one of the hardest shots in the league.

It's a tough blow to the Islanders' depth as they gear up for the playoffs. The 25-year-old flanked the wing on a line with Brock Nelson and Shane Prince, and also worked on the Islanders' first power-play unit.

In his second full season with the club, Lee scored 15 goals with 21 assists in 80 games.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.