NHL Playoffs 2012: Surprising Teams Who Look Like Cup Contenders

The 2012 NHL Playoffs has certainly brought drama and excitement to the table.  The eighth seeded Los Angeles Kings have made it to the Western Conference Finals, facing off against perhaps an equally surprising Phoenix Coyotes team.

In the East, if Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals can pull off a Game 7 upset over the New York Rangers , it would be the first time that a No. 1 or No. 2 seed would not appear in the Conference Finals since the NHL switched to the eighth-seed playoff format in 1994.

With the conference finals almost set, it's time to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Which surprise team has what it take to bring home the 2012 Stanley Cup?

Los Angeles Kings

It is not uncommon to see a low seeded team advance deep into the NHL Playoffs.  In fact, just two years ago we saw the seventh seeded Philadelphia Flyers advance past the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After dismantling the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks and the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, the Kings face the upstart Phoenix Coyotes.

The old football adage "defense wins championships" may very well apply to hockey this year.

The Kings are one of the stingiest teams in the NHL defensively, only giving up an average of 1.56 goals per game. 

Getting past the defense is one thing, but scoring on Jonathan Quick is a whole different ballgame.

Quick's save percentage of over 94 percent is one of the best among any goalie and his 8-1 playoff record can't be beat.

The combination of a shutdown defense and a brick wall goalie has proved to be effective thus far in the playoffs, and there are no signs of it stopping until the Kings hoist the trophy.

New Jersey Devils

After a tough first-round series with the Florida Panthers and a second-round Game 1 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Devils punched the accelerator.

The Devils reeled off four straight win to close the series, scoring nearly four goals a game over that span.

Devils fans better just hope they don't cool down while they wait for the winner of the series between the Capitals and Rangers who will play Game 7 on Saturday.

Much like Los Angeles, New Jersey also has an excellent goaltender.  Martin Brodeur has notched a save percentage of 92 percent thus far and his experience has carried the upstart Devils on a very successful playoff run.

If anything has proven to be the formula for success in the NHL playoffs, it is getting hot at the right time, and that is exactly what is happening in New Jersey.