Neale remembers that situation distinctly in 1982 when his Vancouver Canucks team reached the Stanley Cup Finals. "There were four or five guys on that team who never played as well as they did in those two months," Neale said.

The role of unsung hero hasn't been just for forwards.

Ken Dryden had been a star in college hockey and the Montreal Canadiens did not know much about him when they brought him up for the last six regular-season games of the 1970-71 season. He won every match and posted a 1.65 goals-against average. But the hockey world was stunned when Dryden was chosen for the start against Boston in the playoffs. He backstopped Montreal to the Stanley Cup and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Playoff MVP.

Dryden isn't surprised by the fact there always seems to be an unsung hero in the road to the Stanley Cup.

"What happens is teams come to know each other so well and you've scouted your opponent for five games or more before the first playoff game is played," says Dryden, who is President of the Toronto Maple Leafs. "You are playing that opponent every second night and you know who the best are and teams will focus on finding answers for them. And sometimes it is the guy who does not get much attention who does the damage.

"I can remember playoff series on teams I played on in the 1970s that the focus was always on a (Guy) Lafleur or a (Jacques) Lemaire and sometimes it would be a Cam Connor or a Mark Napier or somebody else who finds a way of breaking loose because nobody is paying attention. What happens then is it drives your opponent nuts. It is one thing to get beaten by the guy who is the superstar. But it is another when you find a way to stop the superstar but it is the unsung guy that kills you. And that feels like two goals against rather than one."

Nobody knows why certain players emerge and others fade in the postseason. Maybe it's because incredibly tight defensive play neutralizes the skill factor, and goal scoring comes down to hard work and the willingness to pay a price in terms of physical discomfort.

Holmstrom, for example, becomes more valuable in the playoffs because he was willing to park in front of the net and joust with every opponent who came his way. Just being in the middle of the action and being a suitor to Lady Luck also goes a long way in the Playoffs.

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.

It's also been suggested that at playoff time, with pressure at its highest, players who aren't looking to make a fancy play are better suited to be successful.

"You look for the garbage," Lowry says. "A lot of guys make good livings by banging in rebounds. If you look at my goals, they're not pretty."

Kontos remembers his playoff run.

"Once you get into a mode when you score, you just know you are going to get out there and score," Kontos said. "The net looks like a soccer goal and everything slows down and it such a nice feeling. But it is so tough to keep that feeling all the time."

"I cherish the fact that I was in the limelight for quite a while and I was being recognized for something that was positive and was good and no matter what, nobody will ever be able to take it away from me and a lot of people remember it. I am always thankful of that. It was a time to shine and it was fortunate I did what I did."

So will there be another unsung hero on the lines of a John Druce or Ken Dryden this postseason?

Why not?