NHL Playoff Predictions 2013: Sleepers That Will Make Strong Postseason Runs

The battle for the Stanley Cup seldom goes as planned. Oftentimes, teams with average seasons transform it on in the playoffs and assembled a group function. Last time, the La Kings sneaked into the postseason since the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference before dominating every staff it confronted on the way to a concept. After having a shortened time, these playoffs will be even crazier as lower-seeded teams turn to repeat the Kings' achievement. There's still a lot left to be resolved in the remaining few weeks of the year, but listed here are the biggest sleepers going into the NHL playoffs. Ottawa Senators Jim McIsaac/Getty Pictures In the NHL, a team can be led by a talented goaltender deep to the postseason. When Craig Anderson is healthier, they can be that leader. The veteran goalie missed a great percentage of the season with a foot injury, but he is first in the category with a goals against average. If he remains healthier, he can be a force for the Senators in the playoffs. Ottawa gets the second-best security in the NHL because of the Robin Lehner in web along with efforts of Anderson. If Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson could be more aggressive on the offensive end, this will be a hardcore team to beat. New York Islanders Bruce Bennett/Getty Pictures With John Tavares on the snow, such a thing is achievable. The 22-year-old star is tied for third in the category with 24 goals scored and also offers 18 helps on the season. His skill has made the Islanders one of the clubs in the league. Within the last 11 games, Ny has only and ten victories one reduction in regulation. Making the playoffs continues to be perhaps not guaranteed, but the squad must feel much more comfortable at this point of the season. The Islanders don't have a lot of postseason knowledge, but they can use this energy to help keep winning in the playoffs. In addition, this young team advance should be helped by the veteran leadership of goalie Evgeni Nabokov. E. Louis Blues Doug Pensinger/Getty Pictures Though E. Louis hasn't been one of the top groups throughout the year, the group is slowly recovering toward the end of the year. The inclusion of Jay Bouwmeester at the trade contract has helped solidify the protection, but there's still some inconsistency in net. Fortuitously, the group is about to obtain a enormous increase at goalie. John O'Neill of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Jaroslav Halak is close to returning from his groin damage and spent the last two days on the snow. He should be back in time for the playoffs. St. Louis is one of the most unselfish clubs in the NHL with eight different players totaling at the least 10 assists. A wholesome Halak will be all of this team has to take on the seeds in the Western Conference.