Beasts of Hockey East: Five players who will rock the tournament

Count on big things in the Hockey East tournament from Logan Hutsko. (Getty Images)

The Hockey East tournament is where names are made.   

Whether it’s a game-winning goal, a stout defensive performance or a series of tone-setting hits, big-time players make big-time plays when the playoffs roll around and seasons are on the line. 

Sometimes it’s an unlikely hero, like an unsung freshman, but often it’s the players who have been there before – those familiar with what it takes to step up and make game-altering plays.

With eight teams qualified, seeded and ready to go, we take a look at a few recent beasts of the Hockey East tournament who could potentially lead their team to the highly coveted conference crown, which will be fought for and awarded at TD Garden during the weekend of March 20-21.