Stralman among unsung heroes of playoffs
One of the grand traditions of the NHL playoffs is that a member of the chorus can seize the opportunity to grab the spotlight and become a showstopper or scene-stealer on the big stage.
Justin Williams has scored 20 or more goals just four times in 14 NHL seasons, but he has earned the nickname of “Mr. Game 7” because of his playoff heroics for the Los Angeles Kings in recent years.
Retired NHLers Claude Lemieux, Esa Tikkanen, Adam Foote and Chris Drury were al- ways celebrated more in May and June than they were at any other time of the year.
This year’s example of a player’s reputation swelling because of playoff excellence is Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman. He was a differencemaker all season but now is drawing notice because he is in the playoffs and playing like the most competitive man on the planet.
“He has changed the dynamic of our defense,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
Stralman earned recognition last season when he helped the New York Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final. However, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal received most of the rave reviews for the team’s strong defensive game.
The Lightning signed Stralman believing he could significantly strengthen their defense, and he has done just that.
“Every time Stralman goes into the corner to get a puck, I’m confident that he is going to come out with it,” Cooper said. “It’s such a calming presence for everyone when he’s on the ice.”
Here are other unsung heroes among the NHL’s Final Four:
Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen: The Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Crawford has a Stanley Cup ring. The Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist has the reputation of Mr. Consistency. The Lightning ’s Ben Bishop is 6-7 and viewed as a rising star.
Andersen was a goalie with question marks entering the playoffs. Today, he has statistics that stack up with anyone in the aforementioned group: save percentage of .930, on par with Bishop (.932) and Lundqvist (.933); save percentage in the high-danger scoring areas of .854, better than Crawford’s and Lundqvist’s, per War-on-ice.com, a website that tracks shot location; 1.86 goals-against average, tied with Lundqvist and just above Bishop’s 1.83. At 9-1, Andersen owns the best record.
Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg: A 39-point scorer in the regular season, Silfverberg is now fourth in the NHL playoff scoring race with 13 points in 10 games. Has Silfverberg suddenly become a point-per-game scorer? Probably not. But he is 24, and this could mark his arrival as a consistent offensive force.
Rangers center Dominic Moore: He’s the symbol of the role player who becomes far more valuable in the postseason. He’s a 52.5% faceoff man, a superior penalty killer and a zealous defensive forward. Moore also has a history of scoring important goals. He scored the game winner in Game 1 against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference final.
Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook: Duncan Keith has been so dominant and Niklas Hjalmarsson has been so efficient that it is easy to overlook how important Seabrook is during the playoffs. With Michal Rozsival out for the rest of the season after ankle surgery, the Blackhawks are relying heavily on four defensemen. Seabrook’s strong postseason has been crucial to the team working through this. He is sixth in points, second in hits and third in blocked shots.