Stanley Cup Playoffs 2016: Unheralded Teams Primed to Make Noise in Postseason

The 2015-16 NHL season concludes this weekend, but few Stanley Cup playoff participants can book their postseason travel arrangements. 

While the Washington Capitals have coasted to the Eastern Conference's top spot, six other teams that clinched playoff bids are distanced by five points. Meanwhile, no Western Conference squad other than the bottom-seeded Minnesota Wild knows its playoff positioning. In fact, not a single first-round matchup is finalized, and the playoffs begin on Wednesday.

Few NHL postseasons ever go smoothly, so the road to the Stanley Cup looks especially unpredictable without many clear-cut favorites. Nobody can write off any of the 16 teams, but the following three squads—currently slated to pack their bags for a first-round series—have the goods to plot a deep run.

Anaheim Ducks

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

They won't claim the Western Conference's No. 1 seed like last year, and they'll need a fortuitous weekend to secure the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the opening round. This year's Anaheim Ducks, however, are arguably stronger.

After ranking 15th in shot-attempt percentage at 50.94 last season, they have jumped to No. 4 with a 53.35 clip. Buoyed by the league's premier defense, their scoring margin has also increased from plus-10 to plus-22. 

Anaheim has especially flourished on power plays, posting the NHL's best conversion rate (23.0 percent) and penalty-kill percentage (87.1). Goals will always come at a premium against the Ducks, but it remains to be seen who will shield their net during the playoffs.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Starting goalie Frederik Andersen has missed the past week due to a concussion, but John Gibson has performed well when called upon, allowing the NHL's second-fewest goals-against average (2.04) through 37 starts.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News' Elliott Teaford, head coach Bruce Boudreau plans to have Andersen back for the playoffs, but he'll still utilize Gibson.

"

People need stories to talk about. We’re very happy with our two goalies. At some point, I think both of them are going to play in the playoffs. So, we’re not worried about it. We don’t know who’s starting, but we’ll go over it this week and we’ll figure it out. I don’t know how we’ll handle the conversation, but we’ll handle it right.

"

A physical defense has limited the opposition to 27.5 shot attempts per game, so the Ducks don't depend upon exquisite goalkeeping. Now flaunting a stronger offense, they're a strong candidate to make another Western Conference Final appearance.

New York Rangers

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

As long as they purchase a playoff ticket, the New York Rangers are a strong bet to get their money's worth.

The Rangers have made three trips to the conference final over the past four years, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance two years ago. They entered that postseason brandishing 96 points, so don't discount them if they settle for a wild card.

Although they match the Chicago Blackhawks in scoring, they place an inefficient No. 20 in shot-attempt percentage. They never, however, earned their keep on offense, instead riding star goalie Henrik Lundqvist as far as possible.

The 34-year-old has taken a step back, allowing a career-high 2.48 goals per contest. He also wields a .934 save percentage at even strength, so he's still capable of fueling another Stanley Cup bid.

Lundqvist has the attention of possible opponents. Florida Panthers co-owner Doug Cifu, whose team secured the Atlantic, broke an unwritten rule. During a SiriusXM NHL radio appearance, via the New York Post's Brett Cyrgalls, he said he'd rather face the New York Islanders than Rangers in the opening round.

“I guess the Rangers have a great, world-class goalie,” Cifu said. “In a coin flip, I’d probably prefer the Islanders.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who knocked off the Rangers in the conference final last year, would surpass them as a top lower-seed contender if not for losing Steven Stamkos to vascular surgery. New York is running out of chances to claim a championship behind its star.

San Jose Sharks

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Among all playoff hopefuls, only the Wild have dropped more regulation losses (32) than the San Jose Sharks' 30. With only one game remaining, they will finish as the Pacific's third division representative behind the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim.

Like the Ducks, they're a dangerous threat to the Kings, Central-leading Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. They're No. 4 in scoring, No. 2 in power-play percentage and No. 6 in shot-attempt percentage. Three of their skaters (Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns) rank among the league's top-10 point-earners.

The 36-year-old Thornton has especially proved indispensable, accruing the second-most assists (62) in the league and tying Erik Karlsson for the fourth-most points (81). CBS Sports' Adam Gretz made the case for the center deserving the Hart Trophy:

"

When Thornton is on the ice during 5-on-5 play the Sharks control close to 57 percent of the shot attempts in the league and outscore their opponents by a 64-25 margin. When he is not on the ice they control just under 50 percent of the shot attempts and have been outscored 104-79. No other top player in the league (Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and Karlsson included) has seen that sort of swing in their team's performance when they are on the ice vs. when they are off of it this season.

"

The Sharks have not shrunk against the West's top contenders, going a combined 6-5 against Los Angeles, Dallas and St. Louis. If goalie Martin Jones—who has allowed 13 goals in the last four games—can shake off his rough patch, they'll be a difficult team to knock out. 

Note: All stats obtained from NHL.com unless otherwise noted.