Druce wasn't exactly as household name in NHL circles back in the early 1990s when he played for the Washington Capitals. He was a fourth-line fixture known more for his guts than glory.

But Dino Ciccarelli became sidelined with a bad knee in the 1991 Playoffs, Druce found himself on the Capitals' top line with Dale Hunter and Geoff Courtnall. The line clicked and played like they had been playing together for years.

Druce stunned the hockey world when he netted 14 playoff goals in 15 games after netting just eight goals in 45 regular-season matches. Druce became the unsung hero of the '91 postseason.

"Everything just took off. I kept on going to the net and it seemed that everything I touched around the net was going in the net," Druce said. "It was almost surreal. The whole time I was doing it, I didn't get too excited and I did not get too low. I was in a zone and even away from the rink, I felt I was in a zone."

Druce isn't the first unsung hero to find himself in the Playoff spotlight. The NHL has a long-standing tradition of celebrating the gift of the unknown goal scorer. There's plenty of historical precedent of the anonymous scorer grabbing the spotlight unexpectedly in the postseason.

Dave Lowry was a hard-working grinder for the Florida Panthers in the 1996 Playoffs who had never before managed more than two goals in the postseason. He finished with 10 goals in 22 playoff games and became somewhat of a hero.

"You get on a roll in the Playoffs. It's like a disease that everyone becomes infected by," says former NHL coach Harry Neale. "You get an enthusiasm. Instead of hoping you can win, you believe you will win. You end up playing better than you thought you could."