NHL Playoff Predictions 2012: Players Who'll Dominate Round 1

Truly great players are made in the postseason, and there are a few who are sure to blow up with huge performances in the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs.

Men like Patrick Roy, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr all were at the top of their game once the playoffs rolled around. 

Here are the three players who'll dominate the first round of action.

Henrik Lundqvist, Goalie, New York Rangers

Lundqvist isn't the popular choice here. After all, he's coming off of a stinger last week and hasn't posted a shutout since February 27th.

Before getting banged up, Lundqvist was having a stellar year. As is stands, he is the third-best goalkeeper in terms of save percentage in the league, having stopped opponents' pucks 93 percent of the time.

I'm picking the Rangers to win in five games, and I predict that Lundqvist is going to shrug off his injury and dominate the ice.

Evgeni Malkin, Forward, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin is the best scoring forward in the NHL, and he is primed to take his game to a whole new level this year in the playoffs.

In the regular season, Malkin led the league in points, tallying 50 goals and 59 assists. His closest rival was Steven Stakmos, who was 11 points behind.

In his career against the Philadelphia Flyers, Malkin averages almost two points per contest.

He has raised his level of play to new heights this season, and there isn't any reason to think he won't continue doing so in the first round.

Ilya Kovalchuk, Forward, New Jersey Devils

I'm picking the Devils to pull off an upset over the Florida Panthers, and Kovalchuk will have everything to do with it.

Kovalchuk is a rare bird. Throughout his 779-game career in the NHL, he has scored 785 points. That is more than a point per game for you math whizzes—a stat that blows my mind.

This year, Kovalchuk did it again, scoring 83 points in 77 games. He is more of a threat as a setup man, but there is always a chance he will go off on a goal-scoring spree of his own.

Though he has limited playoff experience, Kovalchuk will shine in the first round. 

Thank you for making Bleacher Report your premier source for the NHL playoffs. Stay tuned as the first round draws near.

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