NHL teams
Katie Strang, ESPN.com 9y

New York teams trending up, Leafs and Wings skidding in East

Trending up

  • Rob Zepp, Philadelphia Flyers: Can’t imagine how sweet it felt for the 33-year-old goaltender to step in and make 25 saves in his NHL debut, a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Zepp, called up in wake of an upper-body injury to starter Steve Mason, became the oldest goaltender to win his NHL debut since Hugh Lehman in 1926, according to NHL.com. Stick tap to Zepp for chasing the dream. Oh yeah, his teammate Jakub Voracek, who chipped in two goals Sunday, wasn’t bad either.

  • Cam Talbot, New York Rangers: Lots of love for the goaltenders over the weekend, and it was a big one for Rangers backup netminder Talbot. First, he came to terms with the team on a one-year contract extension, then he made 18 saves against the Carolina Hurricanes to record his third shutout of the season. The Rangers, who lead the NHL with eight shutouts this season, have won a season-high six straight games.

  • New York Islanders: The Isles continue to prove they belong among the top teams in the East as they rattled off their fourth straight win with a 3-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Getting back defenseman Travis Hamonic, whose shot set up the go-ahead goal in the Islanders' third-period rally against the Bolts, should be a major boost to their back end.

Trending down

  • The Detroit Red Wings' offense: The Wings took a surprising lead in the Eastern Conference earlier this month, but it was a short-lived grasp on the top spot as the team has sputtered heading into the holiday break. The Wings have dropped six straight games and have struggled mightily on offense, scoring just six goals during that span. Their shootout woes aren’t helping matters either.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs: Just when you thought it was safe for Leafs fans to exhale, they go off the rails. After a six-game tear that had them pegged as probably the hottest team in the league, the Leafs drop three straight, most recently a 4-0 blanking at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Leafs have been outscored 15-5 during this skid.

Injury notes

  • Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets: Just in case you thought Columbus' luck was turning around, another injury report surfaced to cast a pall on the woefully unlucky Blue Jackets. The team announced that forward Boone Jenner will miss one to two months with a back injury.

  • Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh Penguins: OK, it's not technically an injury, but rather another case of the mumps. This time it's Maatta, who joins teammates Sidney Crosby and Beau Bennett as the latest Penguins to test positive for the baffling illness. Can this poor kid catch a break? Maatta already underwent surgery this season to remove a cancerous thyroid tumor and missed two weeks as a result. The Pens’ blue line is further depleted by the absence of Christian Ehrhoff and Paul Martin, who missed Saturday’s game with injuries.

What to watch for

  • Rookie recovery: What sort of impact can rookie forward Andre Burakovsky make now that he has been recalled from the American Hockey League? A strong training camp earned him a spot on the Washington Capitals’ roster this season, but he was scratched for five of his last six games before being sent down to the minors for a pair of games with the Hershey Bears. The Caps face the Ottawa Senators on Monday.

  • Crosby snaps slump: Penguins star Crosby recorded his first goal in nine games in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Now, Crosby and the Pens face the Cats again on Monday in the first of back-to-back games, a set that wraps up with a road match against the Lightning on Tuesday. Can Crosby get back on a roll before the NHL breaks for Christmas?

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