As the NHL’s regular season begins to wind down, playoff pushes are being made by teams that are on the playoff spot bubble all across the league.  There is little time left for coaches to come up with new schemes, lines and strategies, however there is still time for a certain few players to step up their game and prove that they can indeed lead their squad to a postseason birth.

Not every player in the NHL, or in any sport for that matter, has the ability to carry their whole team on his back and help lead them to the promised land. However there are a few talented individuals who have proven time and time again that they are indeed game changers in the sense that they can dictate the play of their teammate and their opponents. These are the players that can make a difference in the outcome of any game they are involved in, and these are the players who have the ability to write a fairytale ending to their team’s long and grueling regular season. Here are five players across the NHL that have the ability to change the current playoff picture.

Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

‘The Magician’ as he is called by his teammates in Detroit, is unfortunately out with an injury for roughly the next two weeks. If he can make a healthy return for the last two weeks of the regular season, the Red Wings would find themselves in a much better position to make what would be their 23rd straight appearance in the playoffs. If the Russian forward fails to make a return, the streak will most likely end at 22.

Ryan Kesler - Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs in the Western Conference standings. If they want to make it into the dance, they will have to find a way to put their differences with Kesler aside, as he has the ability to point the Canucks in the proper direction.

There’s a reason why the Michigan native didn’t get traded on the March 5th trade deadline, and the Canucks are hoping it’s so he can right their sinking ship and lead them into the playoffs.

Alexander Ovechkin - Washington Capitals

Ovechkin is arguably the most talented individual in the game today. Although the Capitals currently find themselves out of the playoff race, they still have a chance to squeak themselves in sometime over the next three and a half weeks. The Caps are only going to go as far as Ovechkin is willing to take them. If he can finish the season on a hot streak, so will his team.

Henrik Lundqvist - New York Rangers

It’s no surprise that on any given day, Lundqvist can steal a victory for the Rangers even when the rest of the team didn’t play well enough to walk away with two points.

He is the best goaltender in the NHL today.  The Rangers currently own the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference but will have a chance to move up if Lundqvist can continue to stand on his head down the stretch.

Ryan Callahan - Tampa Bay Lightning

After scoring his first goal as a member of the Lightning over the weekend, Callahan hopes to break out and help lead his team to a higher seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The ex New York Ranger has the ability to play with an aggressive and gritty style while still being able to put the puck in the net. This is a perfect combination of skills for a player to use heading down the final stretch run of the regular season and into the playoffs. Expect Callahan to heat up over the next two weeks and the Lightning to improve their current spot.