Breire as in Daniel?
He's small but never shied away from physical play and was actually a pretty dirty player. Playoff stud though.
idk about dirty, but he definitely played above his size. "Soft" in the sense that grinding along the boards wasn't his game, but he was just damn smart in front of the net and would take a hit to make the play. One of my all-time favorites, just a lot of hockey spirit in a smaller frame.
I think by definition a truly soft player can't perform well in the playoffs in the first place- soft isn't so much about size or style, it's about a guy who folds when the going gets tough. The playoffs just get a bit harder, so any guy still performing to their normal level or greater- they ain't soft. Kessel gets hit a bit more, he has a little less time and his opponents are a little more desperate- so if he still scores I don't care what he looks or plays like, that dude ain't soft.