The NHL playoffs begin April 30th. That happens to be a week from this Tuesday, with some jockeying for the last seven playoff spots in the mean time. As each day passes, more teams show up in the standings with the telltale “x” next to their name.

The scarlet letter of failure denotes the teams that will be spectators to the playoffs. Some will show up and attempt to pull the other teams unto the moat of failure, and others will go through the motions as time ticks away on their season. After all, don’t want to risk injuring a shoulder with golf season right around the corner!

I can’t begin to imagine the frustration of the men behind the bench. Putting together the game plan. The hours of preparation that go into making line combinations. The film study and practice drills designed to make the team a contender.

To put in the hours upon hours of work only to see your team fail is surely a tough pill to swallow. There are obviously other variables that can come into play. Certainly there are things that derail a season that have less to do with coaching and more to do with just bad luck.

The coach is the scapegoat though. Win or lose, particularly lose, it is the coach who is put before the sea of microphones to answer the who, what, where and most importantly, why the team happens to suck. Of course the veteran coaches have a long list of calculated, often regurgitated responses at the ready. The clichés come fast and furious in any sport at every level and the NHL is no different.

Getting to the playoffs is one thing, but once you get there, it’s nice to have a coach that knows the game. The concept of a coach that has “been there before” is played out and overrated. Playoff hockey is different than regular season hockey. That is nothing new to all 30 current NHL coaches. If you had to pick a coach to navigate your squad to the Stanley Cup, here are five that know the way.

5. Randy Carlyle, Toronto Maple Leafs

Just because Toronto is hitting the playoff scene for the first time in 73 years doesn’t mean they will be out after the first round. Randy Carlyle has won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim and has a knack for getting the most out of his teams in the postseason. This is a Toronto team that has been close for the past couple of years. Carlyle preaches accountability and that has translated well for the Leafs this year.

4. Mike Babcock, Detroit Red Wings

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Detroit has to get there first, but if they do, no one will want to play them. No, not even Chicago. The Blackhawks have been miles better this season, but Detroit and their savvy bench boss are a tricky matchup with a wealth of experience in that locker room.

3. Ken Hitchcock, St. Louis Blues

I’ve always liked to pick on Ken Hitchcock because of the arc that his stints in each city take. He usually takes about three to four years to get his players to hate him (see Dallas, Philadelphia, Columbus), but has a keen eye for talent and is a staunch disciplinarian. These are keys for playoff hockey and Hitchcock is a true student of the game. He is the 2012 Jack Adams award and just won his 600th career game last week.

2. Michel Therrien, Montreal Canadiens

I always liked Therrien as a coach because he always seemed emotionally vested in every game. He wants his players to care as much as he does and doesn’t tolerate anything less than 100% effort. He got run out of Pittsburgh because the players got tired of being pushed, and Dan Bylsma inherited the 2009 Stanley Cup as a result. Nothing against Bylsma as a coach, but he took over a team that Therrien lifted from the dredges of the Eastern Conference and got them back to the Stanley Cup Final with a better result. Therrien is on his second round of resurrecting teams and has his Montreal team nipping at the heels of his former squad headed into the playoffs.

1. Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

Quenneville fits the mold of a coach who has “been there before” but also relates to today’s NHL player. He has pushed Chicago all year to play up to their potential and the Blackhawks have been the NHL’s best team all year. Remember folks, Chicago is only two years removed from their last Stanley Cup, and may be more talented this year. Quenneville is a great leader and strategist, who also happens to be the most experienced (139 playoff games) and accomplished (72 playoff wins) coach in the NHL right now.