In this week's edition of "On the Fly," we're Stanley Cup dreaming. Below are four guys still playing this spring who we'd love to see raise the prettiest trophy in professional sports.

P.K. Subban

Navin Vaswani: Imagine, for a minute, the following: P.K. Subban's Nashville Predators win the Stanley Cup over the Canadiens, in Game 7, on the road in Montreal. Hell, in overtime, too, why not. With Subban scoring the winner.

That's not going to happen (thanks for nothing, Montreal), but it sure would be nice if the NHL's most passionate player, the guy who looks like he's having the most fun out there - which is exactly what he should be doing - won the Stanley Cup. (And just think what it would do to Habs supporters!)

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Subban lives for the game. You can tell by watching him. It's his passion, his love, his life, and while hockey is certainly unfair, there would be something excruciatingly cruel about Subban not winning the Stanley Cup. He must. He better.

There's an NHL promo spot getting TV airtime this postseason that features a number of players - active and retired - talking about the Stanley Cup. Some, like Jonathan Toews, Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, and Sidney Crosby, talk about winning it, and what it meant to them when they did, while others, like Alex Ovechkin, talk about wanting to win it, and needing to win it. Subban's in it, too.

"The Stanley Cup means everything," he says.

And I believe him.

Henrik Lundqvist

Craig Hagerman: All rise. "The King" has entered.

Henrik Lundqvist is back in the second round of the playoffs and this time he's going all the way - or at least he finally deserves to.

Now in his 12th season, the closest he came to capturing Lord Stanley was back in 2014, when his New York Rangers lost the Cup final to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.

It's unfortunate Lundqvist hasn't been able to capture hockey's holy grail, considering he's been arguably the most consistent goalie in the NHL since he made his debut in 2005.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Lundqvist is the only goalie in NHL history to post 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons, the only goalie to post 30 wins in every full season he has played, and the first goalie to record 11 straight 20-win campaigns to begin his career.

He's been nominated for the Vezina five times, won it once, and was named the Rangers' MVP every year from 2007 to 2013.

Lundqvist is a proven winner, an Olympic champion, and there's only one thing missing from his resume.

Erik Karlsson

Cory Wilkins: Erik Karlsson quieted his critics this season, excelling in both ends of the ice after years of racking up points in the offensive zone.

Putting together an 82-point campaign a year ago, Karlsson's numbers were in a similar echelon this season as he finished with 71 points. The big jump, however, came behind his own blue line, where the Ottawa Senators defenseman was second to only Kris Russell in blocked shots. His goaltenders thank him.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

That performance has Karlsson nominated for his fourth Norris Trophy. No doubt he'd be thrilled with another win, but leading the Senators to the Stanley Cup would be far more meaningful.

A Stanley Cup would be a first for Karlsson, and he'd be just the third European to captain his team to a championship after fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom was the first to do so in 2008. It'd also mark the first Stanley Cup parade in the Great White North since the Montreal Canadiens won it all in 1993. For Karlsson, the best for the best.

Alex Ovechkin

Josh Gold-Smith: There's little debate over what Alex Ovechkin's legacy is, and what it likely will be. He's already the greatest Russian scorer of all time, and - if he can keep producing while staying healthy for five or six more seasons - he has a shot at 700 goals, a feat only seven players in NHL history have accomplished.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

He's won the Hart Trophy three times, and he's a six-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy recipient. He's won the Calder, the Art Ross, and appeared in a slew of All-Star games. But there's still something missing from Ovechkin's trophy case.

Winning the Stanley Cup is a team accomplishment, so the fact Ovechkin hasn't hoisted it yet shouldn't diminish his terrific career, nor should it disqualify him from induction into the Hall of Fame.

But given how many times his Washington Capitals have come up short in the playoffs, watching him exorcise those demons by lifting Lord Stanley's mug would be truly satisfying.

Ovechkin is one of the most prolific, durable, and likable players in the NHL, and few others deserve the chance to win a championship more than he does.

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And then there were eight.

The first round's in the books, and a good time was had by all. (Well, except the teams that had their seasons end.)

Related: 5 reasons why the 1st round was excellent

theScore's hockey editors are ready for Round 2. Our picks for the four series are below, as well as our first-round prediction performances.

Eastern Conference

Senators vs. Rangers

• Only two editors picked the Senators to beat the Bruins in the first round. They've picked up only one additional believer as they head into the Eastern semifinals against the Rangers.

Capitals vs. Penguins

• We believe it's the Capitals' time, as they prepare to tangle with the Penguins in what is the second round's most exciting series.

Western Conference

Blues vs. Predators

• None of us picked the Predators to upset the Blackhawks. Don't lie, you didn't either. With all due respect to the Blues, we've converted, almost to a man, to believers of Nashville.

Ducks vs. Oilers

• Like Rangers-Senators and Capitals-Penguins, this one comes in at 6-3, as well, in favor of the Ducks. Can't spell spoilers without Oilers, though.

1st-round results

Here's how we did in the Round of 16:

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This week, "On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable session, is essentially an autopsy of the Chicago Blackhawks, whose season ended Thursday in a most-shocking sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators. We're asking the important questions: How? Why?

Navin Vaswani: To keep it short and sweet: Pekka Rinne happened.

Dude allowed three goals in four games, stopping 123 of 126 shots he faced in almost 13 periods (.976 percent, if you're into that kind of thing), while posting two clean sheets. That's hockey. That's life.

It was a closely contested series. At 5-on-5, a wash:

(Data courtesy: Corsica Hockey)

Rinne was better than Corey Crawford, who leaves the playoffs with a nightmare .902 save percentage. Simple. And, truly, while a sweep certainly is surprising, the fact that Nashville won shouldn't be. The Predators are a legit team.

An 82-game sample is always the most reliable, so check out the kind of defense the Predators played since October:

(Image courtesy: Hockey Viz)

Peter Laviolette's squad limited scoring chances from the slot all season, with the opposition only generating chances from the outside and high in the zone. Rinne gets hot, and it makes sense that the series is over in four.

Nashville also played exceptionally disciplined hockey over the past week, taking only nine penalties in four games (the same can be said for Chicago, which took only eight). While the Blackhawks' power play ranked 19th at 18 percent during the season, Chicago puts out its most talented players when it's up a man, and there's some bloody exceptional talent on Joel Quenneville's bench. Two of Chicago's three (!) goals in the series came on the man advantage. Nashville had to stay out of the box, and it did.

Chicago won Cups in 2013 and 2015, and many had the team doing it again in 2017, after the club somewhat quietly dominated - you get used to it, truthfully - and finished atop the Western Conference. But, finally, the puck stopped bouncing the Blackhawks' way. They didn't win a game in April, losing their final four regular-season matches (three by a goal, and two in overtime), and then ran into Rinne.

This happens. It simply hasn't, recently, to the Blackhawks, and that's what makes it so surprising.

Cory Wilkins: The Blackhawks were a re-enactment of "Failure to Launch."

Down 3-0 in the series, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville noted he would need everyone to contribute if his squad was to make a historic comeback against the Predators. Though, he emphasized it would be up to his club's top players to lead the charge.

They never delivered.

Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Jonathan Toews - the team's top three scorers in the regular season - combined for two goals and three assists, with Toews' lone marker turning out meaningless, as he tallied late in the third period of Game 4 with the Predators already ahead 3-0.

Chicago's other top players were also missing in action through the opening-round series. Veteran winger Marian Hossa put up zero points through four games, as did a host of other key producers like Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman. Most shocking? Defenseman Duncan Keith was the Blackhawks' only blue-liner to registered a single point this postseason.

In all, the Blackhawks produced a meager three goals in four games. In the words of Carolina head coach Bill Peters: "Not good enough."

Josh Wegman: Nashville was the hungrier team. Plain and simple. The Preds have seen the Blackhawks flaunt their three Stanley Cup rings since 2010 and dominate the Central Division for years now. Enough, apparently, was enough.

Obviously the Blackhawks still took the ice and tried their best to win, but how desperate can you really be to win when most of your roster already has three Stanley Cup rings? Deep down, Nashville wanted it more. Absolutely nobody gave them a chance in this series. That was certainly bulletin-board material from the get go.

In my eyes, the Preds were an underachieving bunch all season long. They happened to play up to their potential at the right time. All they needed was some extra motivation. They have one of the most mobile defense corps in the NHL, one that was able to mitigate the speed of the Blackhawks. And of course, Rinne played the best hockey of his life.

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In this edition of "On the Fly," theScore's NHL roundtable series, we discuss who should take home the major hardware at the NHL Awards in June.

*Please note: this is not an official ballot.

Calder Trophy - Auston Matthews

Craig Hagerman: This was far from a two- or even three-horse race, but in the end, your Calder Trophy winner is Auston Matthews.

Matthews set a plethora of Toronto Maple Leafs records including most goals and points by a rookie in a season. He was the only player to record at least a shot in every game this season, his 40 goals were the most by an American-born rookie in NHL history, and sorry, he was just that much better than Patrik Laine.

Related: Matthews becomes 4th-ever rookie to reach 40 goals before turning 20

The 19-year-old also tallied the most goals by a rookie since Alex Ovechkin scored 52 during the 2005-06 season, while his 69 points are the eighth-highest mark since 2000.

Factor in his play on the other side of the puck and what he was able to help the Maple Leafs achieve this season and there's no question he deserves the award. Still, huge props to what's easily the best rookie class the NHL has seen in some time.

Vezina Trophy - Sergei Bobrovsky

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Ian McLaren: For the second time, the Vezina Trophy will be awarded to Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Russian goaltender ranked second in wins this season with 41, trailing both Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot by a single victory. But it's his save percentage - dividing the number of saves by the total number of shots on goal - that sets him apart from the field.

Among all goalies with at least 41 appearances, Bobrovsky ranks first with a save percentage of .931, with Holtby (.925) coming in second. In five-on-five play, Bobrovsky continued to hold an advantage over Holtby, with the former posting a save percentage of .939 and the latter coming in at .937.

The one extra win should not cancel out Bobrovsky's ability to more regularly stop the puck. That, after all, is the chief aim of goalies.

In an impressive year all around in Columbus, Bobrovsky was the backbone, and the best goalie league wide.

Jack Adams Trophy - John Tortorella

Cory Wilkins: After a disastrous and short-lived season with the Vancouver Canucks, and an even worse showing leading Team USA at the World Cup, veteran head coach John Tortorella was all but left for dead.

Pundits across the hockey landscape chose Tortorella as the first coach to be fired this season. The reasoning: His style had gone stale, and in a league moving more and more toward youth, communication is key, leaving little room for Tortorella's fiery demeanor.

But all he's done in his first full season as coach in Columbus (he coached 75 games with the team last year) is pull the team into hockey relevancy. The Blue Jackets spent nearly all of their first 15 years in the league's basement, but emerged as a contender this season, making a 32-point improvement on 2015-16 and finishing as just one of four teams to crack the 50-win plateau.

Tortorella tossed aside the meaningless morning skate. He unleashed his young players and worked through their growing pains as they learned from their mistakes. Through it all, Tortorella mellowed. For those reasons, coupled with the team's success, the Blue Jackets bench boss deserves to be this season's coach of the year.

Norris Trophy - Erik Karlsson

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Sean O'Leary: When Drew Doughty captured the Norris Trophy last season, nearly everybody outside the Kings organization was shocked, believing Erik Karlsson deserved it after the most prolific season of his NHL career (82 points).

Now, Doughty is an all-world talent - his ability to thrive at both ends of the ice won him the award, and voters said it was his time. Fast forward a season, and here we are debating whether it should be Brent Burns or Karlsson, both beyond worthy candidates.

Burns had more points, 76 to Karlsson's 71. But if offense didn't win Karlsson the Norris, why would it win Burns one?

Karlsson adapted to Guy Boucher's defensive regime, and thrived. Karlsson blocked more shots, logged more time on ice per game, and suppressed opponents' offense more effectively than Burns this season on a team that quietly registered 98 points.

Burns has undoubtedly become one of the game's most polarizing superstars both on and off the ice, but Karlsson is a true generational talent, and if I had a vote in this debate, it would go toward No. 65's third Norris Trophy.

Hart Trophy - Connor McDavid

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Navin Vaswani: It's got to be the kid. The Captain. The Edmonton OIlers. Connor McDavid.

He finished with 100 points, an Art Ross winner at 20, in his second NHL season at only 19.

Almost more impressively, Edmonton finished with 103 points. Remember, this is the Oilers. A team that hadn't hit 80 points since 2009, or 90 since 2006, in the Cup Final season. Not only are the Oilers back in the playoffs, they have home ice in the first round, hosting last year's Western Conference finalists. They had a chance to win the Pacific Division with only hours to play in the 82-game season. The math, it don't lie.

I could get into more of the numbers - the even-strength dominance, the percentage of the Oilers' offense McDavid accounted for - but if you watched him this season, you know why he's the MVP. You saw why.

That's taking nothing away from Sidney Crosby, who is dominant in a way no other player is, not even McDavid. But there's something about No. 97 - it may very well be his speed, and his ability to do things at speeds no one else can.

He stands out, stands apart, in a way no other player does.

So many of the league's top teams are loaded with talent. It's tough to argue the Oilers, though they finished tied for seventh in the NHL in points, are one of them. It's McDavid and the boys. McDavid's that good. He's the most valuable player, because the Oilers probably are not the Oilers without him.

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The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Wednesday night, and your favorite sports app's NHL editors have made their opening-round picks. Remember: We can predict the future. It's one of the perks of working at theScore.

Shall we?

Eastern Conference

Canadiens vs. Rangers

• Montreal gets the edge, with six editors to three, but still, this series could go the distance.

Senators vs. Bruins

• This one's 7-2 in favor of Boston. That bodes well for the Senators, who've been doubted all season.

Capitals vs. Maple Leafs

• Mr. O'Leary's a dreamer, and we dig that about him.

Penguins vs. Blue Jackets

• Fifty wins and a record 108 points, and the Jackets get the defending champs in the first round. Life ain't fair.

Western Conference

Blackhawks vs. Predators

• We love Nashville as a city, but Chicago wins the Cup every two years since 2013. So, yeah, sorry Predators fans.

Wild vs. Blues

• Another tight one, with five editors taking the Wild over the Blues. This one's going seven, too.

Ducks vs. Flames

• We're going to assume Mr. Wegman's and Mr. McLaren's Flames picks were typos.

Oilers vs. Sharks

• We're not giving last year's Cup finalists much respect, but they're up against Connor McDavid. And, let's face it, the spring will be more entertaining with at least two rounds featuring the sport's most dynamic player.

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With the NHL playoffs less than a week away, "On the Fly," theScore's NHL weekly roundtable series, looks at four postseason newcomers we're excited to watch.

David Pastrnak

McLaren: 2016-17 has been Pastrnak's coming-out party, and there's a sense the 20-year-old is just getting started.

In his first full NHL season, the Czech winger has given the Boston Bruins near point-per-game production, with 34 goals and 36 assists in 74 games. Impressive numbers to be sure, but the manner in which he's done it suggests a further breakout could be coming.

Pastrnak possesses game-breaking ability unseen in Boston since Tyler Seguin, and has demonstrated an ability to put the game on his stick, as evidenced by team-leading two overtime winners.

That he plays in a Bruins top six comprised of savvy veterans who've made numerous playoff treks should boost not only his confidence but his production, as the likes of David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand have a knack for setting the table.

Pastrnak has had a formidable regular season, but don't be surprised if he makes an even better first playoff impression.

Connor McDavid

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Gold-Smith: It's hard enough to look away when McDavid is on the ice in the regular season. Good luck doing it in the playoffs.

The NHL's points leader will soon get his first taste of postseason action, and there's no doubt it'll be appointment viewing.

McDavid has had no trouble adjusting to the speed of the league as a 20-year-old in his first full NHL campaign, and while the playoffs require another gear, it shouldn't take the youngest captain in league history much time to make an impact.

He's already one of the NHL's most dynamic playmakers as well as one of its most dangerous scorers, and he has a realistic shot at hitting the 100-point plateau before the regular season wraps up.

McDavid will surely collect some individual accolades as the probable Art Ross Trophy winner and a likely nominee for the Hart, but his shifts will be can't-miss entertainment come playoff time with the ultimate team prize in his sights.

Jordan Eberle

O'Leary: Doubling up on the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers, it's hard not to feel good for Eberle.

With 505 NHL games and numerous rebuilds under his belt, Eberle will appear in the postseason for the first time in his career, and while he's shifted to more of a depth role since the arrival of No. 97, keep an eye on the Oilers veteran.

If you're familiar with his world juniors resume, or have seen his first NHL goal, you're well aware of Eberle's reputation for enjoying the big moments. Unfortunately for him, the gap between opportunities to shine on the sport's grandest stages has dragged on longer than he probably expected, but now's his chance. Expect him to take advantage.

Alexander Wennberg

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Wilkins: It's not often a team trades its top center, but the Columbus Blue Jackets cashed in on Ryan Johansen, knowing they had their next middle man around the corner in Wennberg.

The 22-year-old stepped into the top job last season after Johansen was dealt to the Nashville Predators, a trade that brought defenseman Seth Jones to Columbus. Not only did the deal strengthen the team's back end, but Wennberg has played a pivotal role down the middle with fellow center Brandon Dubinsky.

Wennberg leads the Blue Jackets with 45 assists this season. His production has played a big part in the team locking down just its third-ever playoff berth. The dynamic center will soon have the chance to showcase his skill on a bigger stage when he makes his postseason debut.

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It was a costly loss for the Blue Jackets on Sunday, and that's got nothing to do with Columbus losing three straight games for the first time this season.

Phenom rookie defenseman Zach Werenski was injured early in the third period after Alex Ovechkin hit him in the corner. Here's the play:

Here's a still of the hit, which won't sit will with those who didn't like it:

That was the beginning of what turned into a very scrappy third period, with Ovechkin in the middle of most of it, and even Braden Holtby involved in some extracurricular activities late in the game. The question is: Did Ovie leave his feet? Was it dirty? You tell us.

The Blue Jackets offered no update on Werenski after the game, and it could be his shoulder or collarbone or head that took the brunt of the damage. Here is some reported, sort of good, news:

Werenski, only 19, has been an absolute beast in his freshman NHL season, and went into Sunday's game with 11 goals and 36 assists in 77 games. He played 17:26 against Washington, and was on track to log a lot more than his usual 20:57. Obviously, his loss for any portion of the playoffs would be a massive blow to Columbus' chances.

As for the Capitals, they improved to 8-1-1 in their last 10 and are putting the finishing touches on back-to-back Presidents' Trophy seasons.

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With few playoff spots remaining as the regular season winds down, this week's "On the Fly" roundtable focuses on teams outside the postseason picture that have a solid chance of recovering and making the dance next year.

Florida Panthers

Josh Gold-Smith: The Panthers had so many things go right for them last season and over the summer that it appeared they'd have no problem taking a step forward in 2016-17. That obviously didn't happen, as injuries to their top two scorers, their best defenseman, and their veteran starter in goal helped derail a club that enjoyed its best season in franchise history one year ago.

Still, there will be reasons for optimism in Sunrise as they look to start fresh next fall. Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Roberto Luongo likely won't all suffer significant injuries again, and if the aging Luongo does get hurt once more, James Reimer has proven to be a more than capable starter when he's not getting banged up himself.

Florida has its core locked up long term, and it remains a promising group that was in the playoff mix earlier this season before all of the injuries and a controversial coaching change.

Panthers management shouldn't overreact to this disappointing campaign. This club is talented enough to get right back in the postseason next spring.

Winnipeg Jets

Navin Vaswani: I say it every year around this time: Imagine Winnipeg had a goalie.

Poor play at the position has torpedoed yet another Jets season, and this one feels more painful because Mark Scheifele exploded, Patrik Laine scored all those goals, and Blake Wheeler was, well, Blake Wheeler.

The Jets are a damn talented squad, with five players hitting the 50-point mark on the season. If Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault are healthy, they make it seven. Only problem is, none of those guys play goal.

Only the Avalanche have allowed more goals than the Jets this season, and at this point, Colorado's barely an NHL team. Allowing 3.15 goals a game, the Jets rank 28th in the league. Also 28th, their 76.7 percent penalty-killing rate. Simply not good enough.

Connor Hellebuyck has a .905 save percentage in 54 games. Awful. Michael Hutchinson's at .902 in 27 games. Horrific. Let's not even bother with Ondrej Pavelec.

Here's what the Jets have been dealing with in the crease since returning to Winnipeg.

*2016-17 stats don't include Thursday's action

This isn't hard to figure out: The one year the Jets had some NHL-caliber goaltending, they made the playoffs.

Ben Bishop and Ryan Miller are free agents this summer. Hell, even Jonathan Bernier looks like a great option at this point. The Jets will land one of the three in free agency to stop the insanity, and playoff hockey will return to Winnipeg in 2018.

Philadelphia Flyers

Sean O'Leary: It feels like an eternity ago that the Flyers were being mentioned in the same breath as their Metropolitan Division competitors, but that was the case after Philadelphia won 10 consecutive games in December.

Much has changed since - the Flyers have dropped off dramatically, holding onto slim postseason hopes as they sit four points back of a wild-card position.

While the second half of the season has been a huge disappointment in the City of Brotherly Love, the Flyers still own the tools to contend in the future. Captain Claude Giroux admitted offseason hip surgery has hurt his game, and Philly still boasts two of the most underrated producers in the NHL in Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds.

During Ron Hextall's tenure as general manager, the Flyers have drafted well - namely Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov, who have already emerged as key pieces on the roster. Bolstering the blue line and making an improvement in goal are necessities for Hextall in the offseason, but the Flyers could be closer to a return to the postseason than you may think.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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With another wildly entertaining NHL season set to wrap in a little over two weeks - the production quality's been great, there's been tons of drama - we're using this week's roundtable to predict what some of the standings will look like when each team's played 82 games.

Sens will steal Atlantic from Habs

Navin Vaswani: I'll be honest: I've been doubting the Ottawa Senators all season long. So it's time to right some wrongs. Or at least try to.

Sure, Guy Boucher's team squandered a golden opportunity last weekend, earning only one of four points against the Montreal Canadiens in a crucial home-and-home set, and, sure, Ottawa's got a far tougher schedule the rest of the way, but the Sens have been surprising all season. What's another couple of weeks? It would be a hell of a plot twist.

That one game the Canadiens have left against a playoff opponent? It's Ottawa. Again. Saturday, in Montreal.

After play Thursday, the Sens are a single point back of the Habs with a game in hand. Easy enough, right? But Saturday's game in Montreal is the first of a five-game road trip for Ottawa, ending April 3.

In other words: It won't be easy, but the Sens are about to pull off a bloody miracle, led by captain Erik Karlsson, who in the process will put the finishing touches on his Norris Trophy-winning season.

Sharks will take Pacific crown

Craig Hagerman: It's going to be a tight one down the stretch, but the San Jose Sharks will prevail as winners of the Pacific Division.

Sure, things aren't looking too good for the club - San Jose has dropped its last four games in regulation - but the Sharks will bounce back.

The team hadn't dropped four straight in regulation until its recent downturn, but during a stretch between Feb. 4 and Feb. 11, the club lost four in a row, three in extra time. After that stretch, the Sharks went on a tear, going 4-0-2 in their next six games.

It should also be noted that Brent Burns - who leads the club in scoring - has not picked up a single point in his last seven games, despite averaging four shots per game during. He's bound to break out.

Factor in the club's two-point divisional lead and the fact San Jose will play the Canucks twice down the stretch - a club the Sharks have gone 3-0-0 against this season - and it's clear that if the Sharks can just get back to what they were doing, they should come away with their first division title since 2011.

Leafs, Bruins going back to the dance

Cory Wilkins: Get ready to welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins back to the postseason, who last made the dance in 2013 and 2014, respectively, and will do so this year ahead of Carolina, Tampa Bay, and the New York Islanders.

After finishing 30th a year ago, Toronto has been a more consistent club this season, losing three straight games in regulation just once. Led by a host of rookie talent, the Maple Leafs are on pace for a 95-point finish, their best mark since 2004.

Following a Feb. 7 coaching change, Boston has reeled off 12 wins in 18 games under Bruce Cassidy, who has tapped into the team's key players to reset the Bruins' season.

A similar occurrence happened in Brooklyn under coach Doug Weight. But after posting a 13-5-2 record in their first 20 under the new bench boss, New York has stumbled through the wrong stretch of the season, going 5-for-11 in March.

The Lightning looked to be making a late surge, but key injuries and crucial losses in winnable games hampered the team's effort. The same can be said in Carolina, where the Hurricanes have had an impressive showing in March, but it won't be enough to make up for inconsistent play early on.

Presidents' Trophy staying in D.C.

Justin Cuthbert: The three teams racing for the Metropolitan crown and home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs don't need to be reminded what's at stake over the final two weeks and change. In this imperfect seeding system, the paper-thin margin that will separate first and second in the league's top division will be the difference between drawing a title contender and a hanger-on in Round 1.

But while all three teams recognize the importance of a first-place finish, the significance to each may vary. Perhaps it's water off the back of the defending champion Penguins, and the pressure to win a championship can't yet be inordinate for the upstart Blue Jackets. But for the Capitals, who have come up agonizingly short so many times over the last decade, and who will unquestionably bleed away talent this summer, squandering this chance would be devastating.

With that in mind, and in addition to perhaps a slightly more favorable schedule, the Capitals secure a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy, avoiding a rotten opening-round draw.

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David Pastrnak

Wilkins: Who needs a rebuild when you have David Pastrnak?

After dipping his toe into the harbor last season with 15 goals in 51 games, the Boston Bruins winger has made a bigger splash in his third pro season, recording 31 goals and sitting just shy of a point-per-game pace.

Not bad for a player selected 25th overall. Among his fellow 2014 draftees, only Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has outpaced Pastrnak, coming up with 118 points to his 115, but doing so in 18 more contests. Still, no player has tallied more often than Pastrnak, who has collected 55 goals since making his NHL debut in 2014-15.

This season, Pastrnak has found a home on the Bruins' second line alongside veteran center David Krejci. The 20-year-old sits second in team scoring and has emerged as a key cog in the next wave of talent in Beantown.

Rickard Rakell

Gold-Smith: The Anaheim Ducks knew they were getting good value when they signed Rakell to a six-year extension with a cap hit of $3.8 million last fall, but he's exceeding expectations this season.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf get most of the attention in Anaheim, but it's Rakell who leads the club with 30 goals, and he's done it in only 59 contests. His goals per game (0.51) is fifth-best in the NHL among qualified players, fractionally trailing the NHL's leading scorer Brad Marchand.

Rakell's production has increased every year since entering the league in the 2012-13 season, but few predicted he'd be on pace to net 36 goals in an abbreviated 2016-17 campaign.

The Ducks rank in the league's bottom third in scoring, so the fact that he's provided one-sixth of the team's 180 goals further underscores how important his offensive explosion has been.

Mikael Granlund

Hagerman: Maybe it's the new coach, maybe it's some newly found confidence, or maybe it's simple development, but Mikael Granlund is having a monstrous season.

Through just 69 games, the Minnesota Wild forward sits 11th in league scoring and has already smashed his previous career bests set last season. He's put up 11 more goals and 21 more points in 13 fewer games, and at his current pace should score four more goals and 12 more points before the year is out.

It doesn't end there. He's put up career highs in power-play goals and points, shorthanded goals and points, and his 15.6 shooting percentage is nearly twice as high as his previous best. In fact, his 65 points are already more than any Wild player has posted in a season since 2009-10, when Mikko Koivu paced the club with 71.

Factor in that Granlund also ranks third among the club's forwards in takeaways, fourth in shots, fourth in blocks, and second in shorthanded time on ice and it's clear that not only has he been lethal on the scoreboard, he's been the complete package for the Wild.

Jack Eichel

Cuthbert: Rejoining a non-contender after missing the first six weeks of the season due to injury, Jack Eichel's sophomore campaign would be readily glossed over if it weren't so impressive.

Eichel has not just outshone the vast majority of last season's monster rookie class in his second year - he's been one of the league's most productive players since he's returned from a high ankle sprain.

With 27 points in 22 games since the beginning of last month, Eichel has increased his overall count to 20 goals and 48 points in 50 games, a historic near-point-per-game rate for a 20-year-old.

He fashioned the second-longest point streak this season, marking the scoresheet in 11 consecutive games, and he's sandwiched in between James van Riemsdyk and Jeff Carter in terms of all-situations points rate, ranking 21st in the league.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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