NHL Playoffs: 15 Players That Have Underachieved in This Year's Playoffs

The worst time to underachieve as a hockey player is the NHL playoffs, which is where your team needs production the most.

All it takes for a team to struggle mightily is if a few key players not scoring goals, defending poorly or not keeping pucks out of the net.

Let's look at 15 players who underachieved in this year's playoffs, or are currently under performing.

Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers

The Rangers captain has nine points in 19 playoff games with five goals and four assists, and one of his goals was an empty netter.

Callahan needs to raise his game in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night or the Rangers' season will end.

Through five games of the Devils series, Callahan has an empty net goal and two assists. That isn't good enough for a player of his quality.

Derek Stepan, New York Rangers

Derek Stepan is one of the Rangers best young players, but he has just nine points on one goal and eight assists in 19 playoff games.

In the Devils series he is a minus-two, which is also his mark for the entire playoffs. Stepan has just one point in the East Finals thus far and must improve quickly or he will have all summer to think about his struggles.

Ray Whitney, Phoenix Coyotes

Ray Whitney was the Coyotes' leader in points this season but his offensive production in the playoffs was awful. He scored only two goals and had just five assists in 16 games.

Against the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Finals, Whitney had one point on a single assist in five games.

Phoenix wasn't going to win a series against star goaltender Jonathan Quick with their best offensive player giving them nothing in almost every game.

Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils

Patrik Elias is one of the veterans from past New Jersey Devils' Stanley Cup runs, but he has not been productive in the playoffs thus far.

In 17 games, Elias has six points on four goals and two assists. He's also a minus-four. Luckily for Elias, the Devils are getting scoring from a lot of different players right now.

Radim Vrbata, Phoenix Coyotes

Radim Vrbata scored 35 goals in the regular season but inexplicably was only able to find the back of the net twice during the playoffs.

He also scored zero goals in the West Finals against the Kings. The Coyotes were fortunate to get so far in the playoffs despite Whitney and Vrbata playing so poorly offensively.

David Krejci, Boston Bruins

Bruins center David Krejci usually underachieves in the regular season but thrives in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Boston, he underachieved in both parts of the season.

Krejci had just one goal and two assists in the Bruins' seven-game series loss to the Washington Capitals in the first round.

Krejci was a massive disappointment, especially after he led the playoffs in points last year during the Bruins' Stanley Cup title run.

Martin Erat, Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators don't have a ton of offensive talent, so Martin Erat had to be productive offensively for the team to make a deep playoff run.

He only gave the Predators one goal and three assists in 10 playoff games, and scored just once in the second round against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

After two straight disappointing postseasons, Bruins fans are starting to doubt Milan Lucic for the first time.

Not only did he fail to score in the seven-game first round series with the Capitals, he wasn't playing his physical game the way he normally does. Lucic was invisible for most of the series and only gave the Bruins three assists in a lackluster effort.

T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues

Without a lot of high-end offensive talent, the St. Louis Blues needed players like T.J. Oshie to step up in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Blues, Oshie never scored in nine playoff games and had just three assists. In the Kings' sweep of the Blues in the second round, Oshie had zero points.

Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers

The young Rangers rookie had a good regular season but has been abysmal in the playoffs. His defense hasn't been great and he only has three points (zero goals) in 16 playoff games.

Hagelin has to improve quickly or he might not see a lot of ice time in Game 6, or Game 7 if the Rangers win on Friday night.

Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler was fantastic in the playoffs last year, but he had just three assists in five games against the Kings in the first round this season. He was also a minus-one and had several embarrassing dives.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

Brad Marchand had 11 goals in the playoffs last year to tie a rookie record, but had just one goal and an assist in the playoffs this year against the Capitals.

For the better part of seven games, Marchand was a complete non-factor offensively for the Boston Bruins.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury came into the playoffs expected to dominate like he did in the team's Stanley Cup run of 2009, but he was awful in the first round against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Through six games, Fleury allowed 26 goals with an .834 save percentage.

Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers

After a disappointing regular season, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov wasn't any better in the playoffs.

He allowed 37 goals in 11 games and had a .887 save percentage. He wasn't the only reason why the Flyers failed to advance past the second round again, but he deserves a good amount of the blame.

Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues

The last part of their team that St. Louis Blues fans expected to struggle was the goaltending, but Brian Elliott played poorly in the second round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

Elliott had to start with Jaroslav Halak injured and looked like the inconsistent Elliott we saw in Ottawa. He allowed 18 goals in eight games and had a .904 save percentage.