Younger NHL Players Are Ready for the Playoff Heat

The old assumption that playoff hockey has to be earned the hard way over years is getting a little more complicated. Younger players are arriving with better prep, more exposure, and fewer nerves than teams used to expect from first-timers. That matters when the games get tighter, the benches get shorter, and the veterans start looking for someone to crack. The postseason is still a beast, but some of these kids are walking in like they have already seen the movie.