The Stanley Cup Playoffs create lasting memories and heroes that seemingly come out of nowhere. The pressure cooker of postseason hockey ensures that every goal matters so much more than in the 82 games of the regular season.

For the all the heroes that find the net in overtime or slam the door on the opposition in goal there are also villains born in the playoffs. More often than not these players don the black hat of the bad guy during regular season play, but their villainy garners a much larger spotlight when the playoffs begin.

While I won’t cast a specter of disdain on any undeserving players, there are certainly some guys that relish the role of the antagonist during the NHL’s playoff showcase. Here are the top five players that will make you hate them (even more) with some dastardly behavior when the playoffs begin.

Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

Boston’s “little ball of hate” is a dual threat of pest and scorer. His game is built around pissing people off and Marchand is darn good at it. He is a proven scorer in the playoffs with 16 career postseason goals including two game winners. He has a huge heart and is beloved by the Bruins faithful and absolutely no one else in the league.

Andrew Shaw, Chicago Blackhawks

Shaw is doing his best to mirror Marchand’s style of play with his often chippy, irritating style. He plays the game close to the line of cheap shot artist and pest, often crossing back and forth when no referee is watching. Shaw has shown that as annoying as he is to watch and certainly play against, he does have discernable hockey talent. During Chicago’s Stanley Cup run last year Shaw chipped in five goals with two game winners.

Raffi Torres, San Jose Sharks

Widely regarded as one of the dirtiest players in the NHL, Torres is now on his seventh NHL team with San Jose. Journeyman might be the nicest thing that Torres has been called in his career that has been bookmarked by suspensions as much as anything positive that he has done on the ice. His contributions for the Sharks has been zero so far this season, but keep your head up if Torres makes it into the lineup for the Shark’s playoff run.

Steve Ott, St. Louis Blues

The throw in for the Ryan Miller trade was designed to give the Blues a little more sandpaper for a playoff run. Ott has spent most of his career with Dallas before a brief and awful stay in Buffalo. The Miller trade was his ticket out of town and offers him a shot at a Stanley Cup. In addition to chirping opponent’s ears off, Ott has made the most of his postseason scoring. Two of his three playoff goals were game winners.

Maxim Lapierre, St. Louis Blues

When Ott joined the Blues, he may not have become the MOST hated player on the Blues’ roster because Maxim Lapierre was already there. As a notorious antagonist in Vancouver, Lapierre is known for his questionable play, borderline hits and juvenile taunts. As much as St. Louis fans may have loathed him in an enemy sweater, they now embrace his “competitive edge”.

Daniel Carcillo, New York Rangers

Carcillo may be removed from his 321 penalty minute effort that he had in Phoenix, but the “Car Bomb” still draws the ire from opposing players and fans alike. He’s bounced around the league and landed on Broadway where the most discerning critics in the world can laud his diving and embellishment.

P.K Subban, Montreal Canadiens

With Subban we enter the territory of players that have more talent than anyone else thereby drawing the hatred of everyone that isn’t a fan. Subban is a polarizing player as much for the flash and flamboyance as the color of his skin. As a black player in a primarily white sport, Subban relishes his role on the NHL’s most storied franchise. He is arguably the best defenseman in the world and now has the individual hardware (2013 Norris Trophy) to support that. As his tempestuous relationship with Montreal has improved, the rest of the league loves to hate the most complete defensemen in the NHL.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s almost fitting that the best player in the league wears black for half of his games. I have long said that the best players in their respective leagues should embrace the backlash and hate. LeBron James almost did for a minute in Miami, but loves the adulation too much. Crosby has no interest in appeasing the masses and saying the right things, which is great for his role in the league. He is head and shoulders above everyone else statistically, but also has a chip on his shoulder that makes him easy to hate for opposing teams and players. In addition, Crosby's inability to grow facial hair makes him look remarkably similar to notorious villain Snidely Whiplash.

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

He can score fifty goals a season and rack up 100 penalty minutes just as fast. The former Hart Trophy winner has no shortage of enemies in the NHL or among the viewing masses. With a face that just looks puckered and ready to whine, Perry endears himself to Duck fans only, but backs it up with world-class play on the ice. He’ll chop you in the back of your legs in a post-whistle scrum then shove a dagger in your heart with a late game-winner. Perry struggled in Anaheim’s early exit in 2013, but till make a mark on this postseason