5 surprises so far in the NHL playoffs

The 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs are only five days old, and already there has been plenty to talk about, both positive and negative.

Now that every series is at least two games deep, here's a look at five of the biggest surprises so far. 

Two Avs leading the way in scoring

The Colorado Avalanche line of Paul Stastny, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog has stolen the show, combining for 17 points in two games against the Minnesota Wild. Stastny and MacKinnon lead all players in scoring with seven points each, with the latter becoming just the third 18-year-old in NHL history to record a four-point game in the playoffs.

MacKinnon's performance in Game 2 was highlighted by this memorable goal, which went along with three assists.

Jonathan Quick, Kings stumbling

Many expected a Sharks-Kings series to be a long, gruelling affair, destined to go the full seven with any number of casualties along the way. So far, however, San Jose is making it all look relatively simple, thanks in part to some less than stellar play from Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Through two games, Quick has allowed 12 goals on 68 shots, good for a save percentage of .824. It's a far cry from his career playoff save percentage of .924, and the .946 he posted in 20 games en route to a Stanley Cup victory in 2012.

The Kings' struggles can't all be pinned on Quick, of course; San Jose has largely dominated possession, with a Fenwick for percentage of 56.9. The Sharks have also demonstrated incredible depth up front, with all 12 forward registering at least two points apiece. 

Defending champions in a hole

The St. Louis Blues finished the regular season with six straight losses, falling into an unenviable first-round series against the defending Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

Up 2-0 in the series on the strength of a couple of overtime wins, the Blues now find themselves facing a golden opportunity to knock off the Blackhawks, who will be without the services of Brent Seabrook for up to three games due to suspension.

The defenseman just so happened to be the team's leading scorer with four points, with the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa combining for a grand total three points. The Blackhawks are also losing the possession battle (43.4 Fenwick for percentage), and will need to replicate the effort that saw them come back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Detroit Red Wings in 2013 in order to advance.

Canadiens on the verge of a sweep

Only two teams have played three playoff games, and the Montreal Canadiens have managed to build a 3-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

While their victory in Game 3 was somewhat controversial (after a Lightning goal was disallowed late in the second period), Montreal has out shot Tampa Bay by a margin of 101-81, and has posted a Fenwick for percentage of 56.7. 

What is also surprising is that Max Pacioretty - who led the team with 39 regular season goals - has yet to find the back of the net, while Rene Bourque leads the team with three goals after registering just nine in 63 games prior to the playoffs.

The Lightning are playing without top goaltender and likely Vezina candidate Ben Bishop, and could certainly have benefited from his .924 save percentage in this series.

Blue Jackets hanging with the Penguins

The Columbus Blue Jackets made history by winning both their first playoff game and first overtime postseason game in Game 2 of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and have demonstrated to the hockey world that they're capable of keeping things tight with the Metropolitan Division regular season champions.

Were it not for a blown 3-1 lead in Game 1, the Blue Jackets could be heading home with a 2-0 series advantage. As it stands, the series is deadlocked at one, with both teams stacking up quite evenly.

Game 3 is set for Monday in Columbus, where Blue Jackets' fans pining for any measure of success will no doubt be out in full force.