Trending up:
Montreal Canadiens: Of course I'm tempted to just single out Brendan Gallagher here, due to his jaw-dropping behind-the-net, from-his-knees goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, but that wouldn't be fair to the Habs as a whole. That's because the Canadiens continue to roll through the East, extending their winning streak to six games following their 4-1 victory over the Wings this weekend. There were plenty of reasons the Habs could've stumbled, with four games in six nights, but they continue to pace the Atlantic Division, the rest of the Eastern Conference and the entire league.
Panthers' offense: Not to make too much of one game, but it was an impressive showing against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Florida Panthers beat up on the Western Conference leaders to start a three-game swing out in California (they end the four-game road trip against the Nashville Predators this weekend) on a high note, with the line of Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Brad Boyes combining for nine points. Bjugstad and Boyes both tallied twice, with the former recording a four-point night in the Panthers' first win in Anaheim since 2008. The Cats' offense is coming around, with 17 goals in the past four games.
Sergei Bobrovsky: Among the Columbus Blue Jackets’ laundry list of injuries, that to their starting goaltender probably proved most costly during the club's early struggles. Good news for Columbus as the Jackets got Bobrovsky back from a hand injury Saturday night, and then he made 36 saves in his return to propel his team to a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.
Trending down:
Toronto Maple Leafs: Deserving of this dubious honor following a dispiriting 6-2 loss to the worst team in the league -- the Buffalo Sabres -- the Leafs dropped their second straight game. James Reimer had a rough night, giving up six goals to one of the most anemic squads in the league, but team defense is again a concern as the Leafs gave up 35 shots.
Flyers penalty kill: The Philadelphia Flyers have been brutal when down a man, and their penalty-killing unit did not show any signs of improvement in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs scored on all three power-play attempts, leaving the Flyers' struggling special-teams unit 29th with a 71.2 percent success rate. What's worse? On the road, Philly is dead last on the PK with a dreadful 52.2 percent success rate.
Injury report:
Boyle is back: Veteran defenseman Dan Boyle returned to the New York Rangers' lineup last week after missing extended time with a broken hand but he still seems to be dogged by tough luck. What was believed to be a game-winning shootout goal in the Rangers' game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night was ultimately disallowed after further review.
Injury woes continue: In just the latest in a litany of costly losses this season, the Blue Jackets were forced to put veteran defenseman Fedor Tyutin on injured reserve. Tyutin, who suffered a sprained knee in Friday's match against the Flyers, is expected to miss four to six weeks.
What to watch for:
New addition: With his entire team absolutely decimated by injury, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen acquired veteran defenseman Jordan Leopold from the St. Louis Blues over the weekend. What choice did he have, really, besides look elsewhere for additional help? With Leopold now in Columbus, Bobrovsky back between the pipes and center Artem Anisimov returning to the lineup, maybe the Blue Jackets can right the ship.
Bounce-back for Bolts' prospect: Watch carefully to see how Tampa Bay Lightning top prospect Jonathan Drouin reacts to sitting out Saturday's game against the New York Islanders. Lightning coach Jon Cooper made Drouin a healthy scratch, opting instead to get Cedric Paquette in the lineup, though he expressed faith in the 19-year-old's progress. This is all part of the process for the former first-round pick, but how he responds will be a good glimpse into how the youngster handles adversity.