3 'fixers' who are holding their teams together

It's nothing a little duct tape can't fix.

Sometimes teams need that one player who can help steer the ship back on track - or in some cases, to simply do what it takes to keep the ship afloat.

Several teams could find themselves sliding down the standings if not for that one star who's continuing to plug holes, mend parts, and generally keep his team above water.

Here are three "fixers" who are plugging some major holes, and are holding their teams together:

Devils G Cory Schneider

As of Tuesday morning the New Jersey Devils find themselves holding down the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, ahead of both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens.

The Devils remain in a playoff position despite sitting 26th in the league with just 114 goals scored. Luckily for New Jersey, this weakness hasn't hurt them due to the fact they're allowing the sixth-fewest goals against this season - which is largely thanks to the play of goaltender Cory Schneider.

Schneider has been as steady as they come between the pipes this year, and sits among the league leaders in every statistical category.

For the team that generates the fewest shots per game it's important that the Devils have a reliable presence between the pipes, and that's exactly what Schneider has been.

Penguins C Evgeni Malkin

Despite a season that hasn't gone according to plan for the Penguins, the team remains largely in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The club sits just one win outside of the final wild-card spot, and though many of the team's stars stumbled out of the gate, forward Evgeni Malkin has been fairly consistent throughout Pittsburgh's wild season.

Malkin is the only Penguin to hit the 20-goal mark to date, while his 47 points in 47 games also lead the club. Those numbers have helped the Russian snag his fourth All-Star Game selection.

He also leads the Penguins with 10 power-play goals, while his five game-winning goals are enough to give him a share of the team lead, further proving his worth in meaningful games.

The Penguins could be doing much better this season, but without Malkin leading the charge they could also be doing much worse.

Predators C Ryan Johansen

The very reason Ryan Johansen was acquired by the Nashville Predators was to serve as a fixer of sorts up the middle.

General manager David Poile understood that he needed to take advantage when the 23-year-old's name started to get tossed around in trade talks, and he capitalized by trading for him. Since Johansen first stepped on the ice for his new club he's been doing his part to help salvage the Predators' season.

Johansen has jumped right into the first-line center position with the Predators, and in doing so has collected three goals and nine points in eight games with his new team.

Nashville sits in the middle of the pack in both goals for and against, and remain within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, sitting just three points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the conference's final wild-card spot with two games in hand.

While the Predators have struggled on the other side of the puck, Johansen has done an admirable job of helping right the team's wrongs with his stellar offensive output.