Ever since his emergence in the 2010 NHL playoffs, teams have been waiting for Jaroslav Halak to return to that level.  In the first round of those playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens were down 3 games to 1 against the Washington Capitals but Halak’s brilliant goaltending propelled the Habs into the second round.  Washington had the best overall record in the NHL and were predicted to go deep into the playoffs, so Halak emerged as the unlikely hero noted for his 53-save performance in Game 6.  That display of talent carried over against the potent Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. The Pens are always dangerous with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at the top of their lineup but Halak stood tall and the Canadiens took the series 4-3 and advanced to face the Philadelphia Flyers where the magical run ended in 5 games. The Slovakian goaltender held a lot of promise and had been given a chance in Montreal but with the uber-talented Carey Price waiting in the wings, it was no surprise when the Canadiens elected to trade Halak to the St. Louis Blues and go with Price.  Halak eventually signed a 4-year deal shortly after free agency started.  Halak’s four seasons in St. Louis were marked with hot and cold periods as he battled with Brian Elliott for playing time.  His term was also marred with injuries so he never could find his consistency.  The blues had to make a decision as Jake Allen was waiting in the wings for playing time. With Elliott having signed a three0year deal, the writing was on the wall for Halak.  They eventually traded him to Buffalo who turned around and dealt him to Washington where they were having goaltending issues.  After his brief stint in Washington, the Caps traded him to the New York Islanders in May of 2014 to not lose him for nothing.  Halak signed a 4-year deal a few weeks after being acquired and the Islanders couldn’t be happier.  His 31 wins already have eclipsed his previous high of 27 set with S. Louis in 2010-2011.  His play has added stability to the Islanders goaltending and should easily reach the 40-win plateau.  Not playing under Ken Hitchcock’s defensive scheme, his metrics of 2.48 GAA and .910 SP are average at best, but he has proven that he can carry a team in the playoffs, which is what the Islanders are banking on.  Keep on riding the hot Islander net minder as this is turning into a career year for the 29-year old. POST MARKS:  WATCH IN AWE—Two young and talented net minders with a bright future are playing in the NHL right now, but they will be superstars in a few short years.  If you get a chance, you have to watch Anaheim’s John Gibson and Tampa bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy play because you will be amazed at how good they are.  It’s a peek into the future…DETROIT POISE—With Jimmy Howard going down to a lower-body injury and backup Jonas Gustavsson still recovering from his own injury, the Red Wings needed to rely upon a young goalie who had not been tested much in Petr Mrazek.  In fact, he only played in 11 games over parts of the past 2 seasons.  You know how Detroit likes to take their time with their young talent but Mrazek was thrust into action and showed that he is NHL-ready.  He made 13 straight starts and went 10-3-0 to not only keep the Red Wings close but pushed them into the race for the Eastern Conference title.  The future looks bright for these three that I always have my sunglasses ready.