Much of the 2017 postseason chatter has been dominated by the play of defensive wizards such as Erik Karlsson or P.K. Subban, and for good reason - they've been beasting at both ends of the rink.

However, a group of lesser-known rearguards are carving out a name for themselves as well.

Here's a look at five D-men that deserve a lot more credit than they're currently receiving.

Ryan Ellis - Nashville Predators

The grizzly beard aside, it's been a pretty solid spring for Ryan Ellis.

An underrated stellar regular season has translated into more of the same, as the former 11th overall draft pick is having a postseason to remember.

The Nashville defenseman is coming off a benchmark year in which he posted a career-high in goals (16) and tied his career-high in assists (22).

The 26-year-old, believe it or not, currently paces the league in playoff scoring by defensemen with nine points - some dude named Erik has eight.

Ellis is one of the major reasons the Predators have the St.Louis Blues on the brink.

Shea Theodore - Anaheim Ducks

A defenseman named Shea is making his mark on the NHL playoffs and, no, his last name is not Weber.

Shea Theodore of the Anaheim Ducks is very quietly following up a solid rookie campaign with an excellent postseason performance.

After playing only 34 games during the 2016-17 regular season, the 21-year-old has suited up in all eight of the Ducks' contests so far this spring.

Theodore has registered two goals and five assists on 16 shots on goal, good enough for second in playoff rookie scoring behind wunderkid Jake Guentzel.

Due to the deep pool of defensive talent in Anaheim, you may not have heard much about him before now, but if he continues to impress, get used to hearing his name.

Brady Skjei - New York Rangers

Here's another name you probably haven't heard before, but New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei is once again turning heads.

After a regular season in which he finished second in scoring among Rangers defensemen with 39 points, the smooth-skating rookie is currently tied for the team lead in playoff goal scoring with four.

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, the former first-round draft pick not only has the size, but also the pedigree and talent to develop into a quality, top-four defenseman for years to come.

Joel Edmundson - St. Louis Blues

Joel who?

St. Louis Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson is logging over 21 minutes of ice time per game this postseason while also leading the Blues in scoring by a defenseman.

Edmundson's six playoff points are impressive, but the fact that he's cracked top-four minutes in a defensive-minded lineup like St. Louis' should be enough of an indication of just how solid the young D-man has played.

At a base salary of just over $1 million per season, the Blues' 2011 second-round pick is proving to be a serious bargain.

Justin Schultz - Pittsburgh Penguins

By now, most puckheads know that the Pittsburgh Penguins' D-core has been decimated by injury.

However, what you probably don't know is Justin Schultz has stepped up in the clutch to fill in for guys like Kris Letang by logging over 20 minutes per game, giving Pittsburgh's forwards a chance to do their thing.

Schultz has also chipped in offensively, tallying two goals and five apples for seven points, including the game-winner against Washington in the Penguins' Game 4 victory Wednesday night.

Losing guys like Letang and Crosby is obviously a huge blow to Pittsburgh's cup hopes, but if glue guys like Schultz can continue to hold things together, the Penguins will have a very legitimate shot at being the last team standing come June.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Vadim Shipachyov joined Reid Duke as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, but the two newcomers are still missing a few teammates.

The team highlighted that fact with a brilliant reminder by way of the updated line combinations:

It's a good thing players have numbers on the backs of their jerseys, or that could get downright confusing.

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NEW YORK - Oscar Lindberg scored two goals, Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves, and the New York Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Thursday night to tie their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.

Chris Kreider and Nick Holden also scored and Tanner Glass added two assists for the Rangers, who have won four consecutive home games this postseason.

Kyle Turris scored for Ottawa, and Craig Anderson made 17 saves before being replaced by Mike Condon for the third period. Condon finished with nine stops.

Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson also left the game after the second period with an injury. Karlsson played during the first round with two microfractures in one of his feet from blocking a shot late in the regular season.

Game 5 is Saturday at Ottawa.

Lundqvist has stopped 48 of his past 50 shots after allowing six goals in the Senators' double-overtime win in Game 2.

Lindberg scored both of the Rangers' second-period goals. Glass, playing his second consecutive game, blocked Ben Harpur's shot and Michael Grabner grabbed the loose puck and broke in with Lindberg, who scored on a one-timer at 2:01.

Glass also helped set up Lindberg's next goal. He outworked Senators defenseman Cody Ceci for the puck behind the Ottawa net and sent it to the boards. J.T. Miller grabbed the loose puck and passed to Lindberg at the point for a 3-0 lead at 15:54. Lindberg also scored the Rangers' final goal in their Game 3 win.

Kreider made it 4-0 with a power-play goal at 10:45 of the third.

Turris scored at 13:34, but the Senators had trouble generating sustained pressure against Lundqvist and were sloppy with the puck at times.

For the second consecutive game, the Rangers controlled the first period. In Game 3, they scored the first two goals and outshot Ottawa 15-5. On Thursday, they outshot the Senators 11-7 and opened the scoring again.

Holden led a breakout from the defensive zone and sent a pass to Kevin Hayes at center ice. Hayes passed back to Holden along the left wing and he broke in toward the net and beat Anderson with a wrist shot that went over his right pad at 14:04.

The Rangers have scored the first goal in each game of the series.

NOTES: Lundqvist earned his 61st playoff win to tie Tom Barrasso for 13th on the NHL's career list. ... Senators Fs Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith returned to the lineup after leaving Game 3 with injuries. D Chris Wideman and F Tom Pyatt both made their debuts in the series. D Fredrik Claesson and F Tommy Wingels were scratched. ... Rangers F Pavel Buchnevich was scratched for the second consecutive game and replaced by Glass.

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The Ottawa Senators' series lead over the New York Rangers is nothing but a memory.

Back on Broadway for Game 4 on Thursday night, the Sens were overpowered to the tune of a second consecutive 4-1 loss that evened the series at 2-2.

If laying back-to-back eggs in New York wasn't already cause for concern, consecutive losses in a playoff series have been a historically troublesome trend for the Senators.

Uh oh.

Since Jean-Gabriel Pageau's heroic four-goal performance in Game 2, Ottawa has been outshot 60-50, and outscored 8-2.

Game 5 is slated for Saturday afternoon at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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Erik Karlsson's departure from the third period of Game 4 against the New York Rangers appears to have been precautionary.

Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher said Karlsson could have played the final frame but the team chose to keep him out, and the superstar defenseman is expected to play in Game 5 on Saturday, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

Karlsson left for the dressing room at the second intermission in apparent pain after colliding with Rangers forward J.T. Miller near the boards on his last shift of the frame.

Boucher would only refer to Karlsson's ailment as a lower-body injury, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.

The Senators star didn't return for the third period with the Senators trailing 3-0, and New York held on for a 4-1 victory that evened the series at 2-2.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have another player.

The NHL's 31st franchise has signed free agent forward Vadim Shipachyov to a two-year, $9 million contract, general manager George McPhee announced Thursday.

In 50 games for SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL last season, Shipachyov recorded 26 goals and 50 assists, good for third in league scoring.

"Vadim is a highly skilled playmaker who has had an impressive career in the Kontinental Hockey League," McPhee said. "He has won two KHL championships, has been among the league leaders in scoring the last two seasons and has enjoyed success at the international level for Team Russia. We believe he can be an impact player in the NHL."

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The Vegas Golden Knights have another player.

The NHL's 31st franchise has signed free agent forward Vadim Shipachyov to a two-year, $9 million contract, general manager George McPhee announced Thursday.

In 50 games for SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL last season, Shipachyov recorded 26 goals and 50 assists, good for third in league scoring.

"Vadim is a highly skilled playmaker who has had an impressive career in the Kontinental Hockey League," McPhee said. "He has won two KHL championships, has been among the league leaders in scoring the last two seasons and has enjoyed success at the international level for Team Russia. We believe he can be an impact player in the NHL."

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