It took Porter Martone less than two weeks to generate buzz around the NHL \u2014 and just two postseason appearances to make history, as the first teenager to score back-to-back game-winners in his first two playoff games.<\/p>\n
Martone jumped into NHL action when his season ended with Michigan State and made an immediate impact in Philadelphia with 10 primary points in nine games. He added a spark off the rush and moved the needle offensively with his slot-driving play to give this team a much-needed boost.<\/p>\n
The Flyers ranked 25th in the league with 2.79 all-situations goals per 60 before Martone made his debut; since then, that has jumped to 10th, at a pace of 3.71 per 60.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not like the Flyers eased Martone in, either. He joined the team in the thick of a playoff race and was thrown into some tough matchups off the bat, like head-to-head minutes against Dylan Larkin and David Pastrnak. While small samples can skew outcomes, the Flyers did suppress scoring chances and goals against in his minutes down the stretch.<\/p>\n
And that has quickly translated to a high-pressure playoff environment.<\/p>\n
Breaking out in the regular season is one thing, but the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different animal. What works in the regular season doesn\u2019t always break through in that environment, so when someone makes a statement there, it\u2019s all the more impactful.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s where players can make a name for themselves, just like Wyatt Johnston did in Dallas in 2023. That\u2019s exactly what Martone and a few other rising talents are starting to do in the early goings of this postseason.<\/p>\n
In Martone\u2019s first Stanley Cup playoff shift, he gained the offensive zone and set up a Christian Dvorak chance. Later, in the third, his screen helped Travis Sanheim get one past Stuart Skinner to pull ahead.<\/p>\n
Then, with less than three minutes to go, he scored what became the game-winner. Martone picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated it in. He was calm under pressure from Noel Acciari and spun away to create some space for himself.<\/p>\n
That difference-making energy carried in Game 2, where he scored another game-winner to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.<\/p>\n
That scoring has obviously been incredibly clutch and has pushed Philadelphia to a 2-0 lead on the road. But his play without the puck has been key, too, especially in his matchup minutes against Sidney Crosby. The Flyers may not be generating a ton of quality offense in that time in those 10 head-to-head minutes, but they are limiting the Penguins to just 0.56 expected goals.<\/p>\n
With that all-around play, Martone is quickly breaking out as a real top-six threat in Philadelphia. Here\u2019s who else is joining him around the league.<\/p>\n
Juraj Slafkovsk\u00fd, Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n
Slafkovsk\u00fd has always been a gamer in big moments. It\u2019s what raised his draft profile in 2022 after thriving at the Olympics. It just took some time to develop at a consistent level in the NHL.<\/p>\n
This season, Slafkovsk\u00fd really put the pieces together<\/a>; he went from being a passenger alongside the Canadiens\u2019 best to becoming a real threat, who made more puck touches in all three zones, and found the balance between his dangerous passing and all-around offensive skill with his size and physical attributes. His play in Milan was a reminder of that next gear he can bring when the pressure rises, with another difference-making performance for Slovakia.<\/p>\n And now, the Canadiens are experiencing that when it matters most.<\/p>\n Montreal got a glimpse of that last spring, when Slafkovsk\u00fd put up two goals in five games against the Capitals and was a strong source of quality offense. It only took him one game versus the Lightning to surpass that on the scoresheet.<\/p>\n Slafkovsk\u00fd was the difference in Game 1 on Sunday, with a hat trick that powered the underdogs to an early series lead. First, with a one-timer from the right circle, set up by a cross-seam pass from Ivan Demidov on the advantage to tie the game 2-2:<\/p>\n Then, the go-ahead goal in the third period: another power play one-timer, this time from the center lane, set up by Cole Caufield. But Slafkovsk\u00fd wasn\u2019t done yet. On his 11th unblocked shot of the game, he completed the hat trick and clinched the Game 1 win with another power play goal, scored from the left circle.<\/p>\n Slafkovsk\u00fd led the game with those 11 unblocked shots, worth a game-high 1.00 expected goals for. Between his scoring and physicality, it was the kind of performance that highlighted just how much his game has evolved <\/a>over the years.<\/p>\n While he wasn\u2019t as effective on Tuesday night in Game 2, Slafkovsk\u00fd has proven throughout the year that there is a lot of Big Game Play left in the tank \u2014 making him one of the breakout players to watch this spring.<\/p>\n Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n Stankoven gained some playoff seasoning in Dallas and Carolina. And while he\u2019s had some moments, he had been more of a secondary contributor over the last couple of years \u2014 until this spring.<\/p>\n Stankoven had an absolutely dominant Game 1 against Ottawa. At five-on-five, the team went up 19-5 in shot attempts, 2-0 in scoring, and earned a 93 percent xG rate in his minutes. Stankoven\u2019s seven shot attempts and overall efforts helped contribute to 2.17 of the Canes\u2019 3.16 expected goals at five-on-five.<\/p>\n That was key for a team that surprisingly struggled to get pucks on net early; it was Stankoven\u2019s chances late in the first that gave the team a spark. And it was his goal that opened the scoring in the second.<\/p>\n After earning two primary points on the Canes\u2019 goals on Saturday, he saved a goal in Game 2 that almost slipped over the line (and likely would have changed the tone of the game early), and added another of his own.<\/p>\n While his Game 2 wasn\u2019t as strong \u2014 he had a couple of lapses and a dicey turnover along the way \u2014 his play still helped give Carolina an edge. And there are signs there is more to come, if his play down the stretch is any indication.<\/p>\n Stankoven, in so many ways, is an ideal fit for the Canes\u2019 system, with his forechecking ability and his ability to give this team more dimension with his play in transition. But scoring seven goals and 11 all-situations points in eight games down the stretch showed he has more of an offensive punch to offer. Through two playoff games, he is building off of that.<\/p>\n Matt Savoie, Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n Not every breakout candidate has popped off on the scoresheet just yet. In the Oilers\u2019 opening game, Leon Draisaitl\u2019s line stole the show. But Savoie is a potential X-factor to keep an eye on moving forward.<\/p>\n The Oilers experimented with Savoie all over the top nine in the first half of the season, but he only mustered 18 points in his first 58 games. A move to Connor McDavid\u2019s wing after the Olympics helped unlock his offense.<\/p>\n Shocker, playing with the best player in the world, who went on a tear in the last two months of the season to solidify the Oilers\u2019 playoff standing, helped Savoie turn things around, right? The McDavid factor is massive here because his MVP-caliber play generally elevates everyone around him. But it does take a lot to actually keep up and complement him, and the rookie did that down the stretch.<\/p>\n McDavid\u2019s puck-moving play was on another level this season; his transition game and playmaking pushed Savoie to shoot the puck more and set him up for more scoring chances. His production, unsurprisingly, jumped. As a result, he scored 19 points in 24 games in all situations, and upped his five-on-five pace by plus-1.62 points per 60 from his first 58 games. But McDavid also scored more with Savoie; his highest pace came in those 337 shared minutes, with 3.03 points per 60. Post-Olympics, this duo outscored opponents 13-7 and earned a 53 percent xG rate.<\/p>\n So while the McDavid line wasn\u2019t as noticeable in Game 1 against the Ducks, he isn\u2019t someone opponents can contain for long, especially in the playoffs. As McDavid raises the bar, Savoie should keep growing on his wing. He could break out similarly to Vasily Podkolzin, who excelled on Draisaitl\u2019s line last postseason.<\/p>\n Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n As much as teams rotate in the regular season, most playoff teams name one starter and stick with them, barring disaster or injury. Filip Gustavsson seemed like the likely choice for a few reasons: he started more games this year, actually got a few consecutive starts post-Olympics to gear up for a playoff workload, and has the experience.<\/p>\n Wallstedt had zero Stanley Cup playoff experience heading into Game 1. He didn\u2019t have any true 1A starting experience at the NHL level, either.<\/p>\n But he has the better track record this season and the right playing style <\/a>for this opening matchup.<\/p>\n When accounting for the differences in minutes played, Wallstedt earned a GSAx of 0.40 per 60, compared to Gustavsson\u2019s 0.08. And he gave his team a chance to win with more quality starts down the stretch, while Gustavsson only mustered three in his last 10 starts.<\/p>\n In Game 1<\/a>, Wallstedt proved his coaches right with 1.66 goals saved above expected against 35 unblocked shots. And while his Game 2 was slightly below average relative to his (tougher) workload, he still came up with some key saves to maintain the starter\u2019s role for Game 3 \u2014 like this third-period stop on Jason Robertson to keep it a one-goal game.<\/p>\n While Jakub Dobe\u0161 had the chance to prove that he is The Guy in Montreal before the playoffs started, this is Wallstedt\u2019s chance to prove that he has the chops to not only play a starting role but be the difference in net for Minnesota.<\/p>\n Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n Every team needs players who can help it reach the postseason. But teams also need guys who can grind it out in a playoff atmosphere. Players who can elevate their scoring, bring a clutch factor, and stir things up. And that\u2019s even more important for a team that relies heavily on a rush-based attack.<\/p>\n The Sabres thrive in transition, but need players who turn those entries into sustained offensive pressure: tenacious forecheckers who can retrieve pucks, pressure along the boards, and do the little things to support Buffalo\u2019s star talent.<\/p>\n It\u2019s something that Josh Doan and Zach Benson both excel at. Doan is a great puck retriever, which pairs so well with his high-end skill. Benson, on the other hand, brings a lot of two-way skill and pestiness to the lineup built for a playoff environment. Pair them up, and it makes for a second line that should be able to agitate opponents.<\/p>\n Benson has already mixed it up with the Bruins through two games, but there\u2019s still another level to unlock. His combination of skill and pesky play can be incredibly frustrating to go up against, and in a middle-six capacity (compared to a fourth-line role at times this season), he has a lot more opportunity to play into that. Channeling that against Boston, and potentially beyond, could make him the type of playoff player most teams want in their supporting cast.<\/p>\n Honorable mentions: Logan Cooley, Sam Malinski, Jakub Dobe\u0161<\/p>\n Data via Evolving-Hockey<\/a>, HockeyViz<\/a>, HockeyStatCards<\/a>, All Three Zones<\/a>,\u00a0HockeyStats<\/a> and Natural Stat Trick<\/a>. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer<\/a> on these numbers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It took Porter Martone less than two weeks to generate buzz around the NHL \u2014 and just two…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":557896,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5107],"tags":[229,194,29,5176,146,5,195,38,21,4,56],"class_list":{"0":"post-557895","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-carolina-hurricanes","8":"tag-buffalo-sabres","9":"tag-carolina","10":"tag-carolina-hurricanes","11":"tag-carolinahurricanes","12":"tag-edmonton-oilers","13":"tag-hockey","14":"tag-hurricanes","15":"tag-minnesota-wild","16":"tag-montreal-canadiens","17":"tag-nhl","18":"tag-philadelphia-flyers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116448122918558776","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/557896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}