Stanley Cup Playoffs 2015: Top Underdogs That Can Shock NHL Postseason

The regular season is enthralling, but the NHL playoffs are a completely different animal.

In the postseason, the checks are harder, the slapshots are faster and the intensity is unmistakable. It's also a time where some of the biggest upsets can take place. This season is no different, with several lower seeds thriving down the stretch.

Take last season, for example. After coming in as a No. 3 seed in the West, the Los Angeles Kings surged their way to the Final and hoisted the Stanley Cup. Will another underdog repeat their success this season?

Prior to the first game on Wednesday night, here's a look at the top underdogs to watch on each side of the bracket.

West Team to Watch: Chicago Blackhawks

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks know a thing or two about turning it on when the playoffs start. Winners of two Stanley Cups since 2010, Chicago can blister any team when April and May roll around.

Interestingly, the Blackhawks face a team with little experience at that stage. The Nashville Predators have been to the playoffs seven times in their history before 2015 and only advanced out of the conference quarterfinals twice.

They now must face a Chicago team that's finally close to full strength. Earlier this week, it was announced that Patrick Kane will return to the Blackhawks' lineup, per Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago. That leaves the door wide open for the playoffs, as Julie Stewart-Binks of Fox Sports notes:

Having a roster filled with stars like Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Corey Crawford, the Blackhawks have the grit to get the job done in the playoffs.

Coming in on a four-game skid hurts the momentum, but the confidence for Chicago is sky-high with the return of Kane. This team will make some noise and apply some pressure on the biggest Stanley Cup hopefuls.

East Team to Watch: Ottawa Senators

One name is all that NHL fans need to hear when considering the Ottawa Senators as a Stanley Cup contender: Andrew Hammond.

Despite their slow start to the year, the Senators surged back to a playoff spot behind the goalie's absurd play. Since being moved to the starting role, the Hamburglar has gone 20-1-2 with a 1.79 goals against average and a .941 save percentage.

"What [Hammond]'s done for us has been completely incredible," Mark Stone said of his teammate, via Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun. "There's not much more you can say about the guy. He came in here and gave us the chance to win on every single game. That's all you can really ask for from your goalie."

What the Sens have accomplished is not only memorable, but also historic. No team has ever overcome the type of deficit Ottawa faced heading into the final months of the season, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Stone has also played a crucial part in that recent surge with nine goals and 10 assists over the team's last 14 games.

Stone, along with Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman, will produce the offense. Hammond will look to remain near-perfect in the crease. If the Sens keep up the strong play, this is a team that can not only challenge the Montreal Canadiens, but also make a deep run.

Hammond against Carey Price will alone be worth the price of admission. If the young goalie can prove himself in the first round, there's no telling where he can carry the Senators in the next several weeks.

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