Players that caught my eye in playoffs

In each of the four playoff series, there seemed to be one player on the opposing team that really caught my eye - one player I thought would look good in Penguins Black and Vegas Gold.

Here there are:

Series one - Philadelphia Flyers - Claude Giroux


Of all the Flyers to play round one, it was Claude Giroux that stepped his game up. The Flyers may have lost to the Penguins, but Giroux was the best player for the Flyers in the series and, in more than a few games, was the best player on the ice, Malkin and Crosby included.
The kid was all over the ice - he skates fast, fights, and dangles. Look out for Giroux in the future.

Series two - Washington Capitals - David Steckel



David Steckel is the Jordan Staal of the Washington Capitals. Steckel has the ability to change games. It may not be with big goals or big numbers, but the third-liner's gritty, versatile play at times puts him in a position to be the x-factor.
Steckel was the Caps top faceoff guy, winning the majority of important faceoffs - especially early in the series. He also scored the OT winner in game 6 to force a game 7 in Washington.

Series three - Carolina Hurricanes - Chad LaRose


Though LaRose checks in at 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds, he plays a much bigger game. LaRose is the kind of sparkplug that brings grit to every shift. LaRose's other attributes more than make up for a lack of size.
He's a smart player. He knows the game and studies the game. He's a good skater with good foot speed and he'll play in traffic. He'll do the necessary things to be successful.

Round four - Detroit Red Wings - Darren Helm


This guy is one speedy mofo. He was always seeming to beat Penguins to loose pucks, or was blowing by defensemen consistently. He was also very effective along the boards.
Helm is a hard worker with some skill, but is undersized. Good skater with good hands. Plays big.