"Where's your beard?"

Dustin Penner's playoff beard is overrated. There I said it. The mountain man from Manitoba may have a beard that is the woolly mammoth of beards, almost like an air bag of hair protecting his face from harm, but it's overrated. Just as overrated as Shea Weber's beard last year.

Now, this is certainly blasphemy, because anyone with a working set of eyes can see that Penner's beard lords over all other beards, just as Weber's beard last year took on a "Madness? This is Sparta" quality that kicked all other beards into a pit of death.

Growing a beard in the playoffs is a long-standing tradition in the NHL. But thanks to genetics, not everyone can grow the prototypical Lanny MacDonald beard. Some are left working with what they have, which in some cases (Sidney Crosby) is thinner than your socially awkward 12-year-old neighbour's unintentional dirt stache.

Others may have a lot of hair, but no idea how to style their declaration of manhood. But thanks to this handy styling guide, players no longer have to worry about what to do with their facial hair. Just set the electric razor to trim and happy styling! (But seriously don't shave your playoff beard, it is 100% unacceptable).

Special hat-tip to NHL Beardoffs for many of the great images. Check them out to follow the progress of some of your favourite beards throughout the playoffs.