Roundtable: NHL playoff surprises, underrated players through two rounds

What has surprised you through two rounds of the postseason?

Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Quite honestly, it has to be the performance of Mike Smith. I thought he was going to be a disaster in the Edmonton net but he has legitimately good and along with Connor McDavid is one of the biggest reasons the Oilers are playing in the Western Conference Final. I did not think he had this much left or could reach this level this consistently because it goes back beyond the playoffs to the end of the regular season as well. It is stunning.

Michael Finewax, NBC Sports Edge Senior Hockey Writer/Editor: The return to form of Igor Shesterkin has been a pleasant surprise as he really had struggled from March 10 until the final three games of the opening round against Pittsburgh. He was really strong all series against the Hurricanes, giving up only 12 goals on 234 shots in seven games.

James O’Brien, NHL writer: For years, star players have been smothered by stifling defense, and most offensively, negligent officiating. It’s been truly jaw-dropping to see Connor McDavid go full supernova mode in these playoffs, but the true delight is that he’s not the only star player to shine in the spotlight. Kucherov, Gaudreau, Makar, MacKinnon … heck, even Perron, Kadri, and others have been dominant during stretches. As someone who sometimes envies the NBA’s tendency to have its biggest stars looking great in big moments (and often facing off in battles of juggernauts), it’s been a true treat to devour at least a slice of that in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sean Leahy, NHL writer: We’ve been treated to six Games 7s already through two rounds. The NHL record for an entire postseason is seven and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we get at least one more