NHL teams
Katie Strang, ESPN.com 9y

Red Wings, Blue Jackets looking strong; Canadiens, Rangers faltering in East

Trending up

  • Detroit Red Wings: Expecting the Wings to make their 23rd consecutive playoff appearance is one thing, but not too many folks envisioned them competing for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. Yet that is where Mike Babcock’s skilled squad is after the team recorded its third consecutive win Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Detroit, tied with the division-leading Lightning in points (39), has now won eight of its past 10 games. Having back Pavel Datsyuk has provided a huge boost; Datsyuk recorded three points in the team's 3-1 win over the Canes on Sunday and has nine points in the past five games.

  • Mika Zibanejad: The youngster recorded a pivotal four-point effort in the Ottawa Senators’ 4-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night that snapped a five-game skid. Zibanejad tallied twice in the second period to help the Sens erase a 3-1 deficit before stud defenseman Erik Karlsson notched the game winner in overtime.

  • Sergei Bobrovsky: It’s been a busy week for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ starting netminder. After making 52 saves in the team’s 4-3 shootout win against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, Bobrovsky saw plenty of rubber again on Saturday night. Yet he held one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league at bay, recording 33 saves en route to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bobrovsky’s superior play might be the thing to help Columbus turn things around. The Blue Jackets have now won three straight.

Trending down:

  • Montreal Canadiens: The Habs have dropped three straight, most recently a 4-1 loss to the struggling Dallas Stars in which they looked uncharacteristically stagnant on offense. The good news? Tuesday's match against the Vancouver Canucks begins a five-game homestand for the Habs.

  • New York Rangers: I still find it very difficult to get a handle on these Rangers, who made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup final less than six months ago. Inconsistency reigns supreme for the Blueshirts and a loss Saturday to the Detroit Red Wings was another glaring reminder that their play has not been up to snuff. Mistakes, missed power-play opportunities, a blown lead and, as coach Alain Vigneault stated, a few “lazy backchecks” were to blame this time. What will it be the next game?

Injury report

  • Dave Bolland: Out since Oct. 17 with a groin injury, Bolland appears to be nearing a return for the Florida Panthers, with Monday’s game against St. Louis looking like a possibility.

  • Mike Green: The Washington Capitals defenseman has missed six straight games with an upper-body injury, but has been skating with the team and is aiming to return Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, according to the Washington Post.

What to watch for

  • The Flyers’ next move: The Philadelphia Flyers got an important 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, perhaps the start of things moving in a different direction for the beleaguered squad. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall endorsed coach Craig Berube heading into the weekend, telling reporters his coach was safe despite the team’s struggles. If things continue to go south, however, Hextall may ramp up his efforts to make a trade in hopes of shaking things up.

  • Long layoff: The Bruins will have enjoyed four days off before they face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Whether that provides some time to rest and recuperate before hosting one of the hottest teams in the league or kills the momentum following a 5-2 win against the Coyotes on Saturday remains to be seen.

  • Drouin decision: Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has yet to make a decision on whether he will loan rookie Jonathan Drouin to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships. Will they decide to let him represent his county? Or do they feel his development is best served remaining with the Bolts in the NHL? My money is on the latter.

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